Two souls
by WickedLady1898
Summary: Emiko woke up on the battlefield, with no memory, and no clue how she had gotten there. The only thing she does know is there is a darkness lurking inside of her that she couldn't control.
1. Chapter 1

Emiko's head hurt. It swirled with the combination of the ringing in her ears and the sound of unfamiliar voices. She couldn't make out what the voices were saying, or even whether the speakers were male or female. She could tell that their was at least two of them, maybe three, she couldn't be sure though. She cracked her eyes open, peering around in confusion.

Her eyes met three sets of red eyes. The voices continued to speak, but she ignored them, and instead studied the three people in front of her. They were beautiful. The furthest person to her left was a woman, with curly blonde hair and pointed ears-something that should've made Emiko feel cautious, but she didn't understand why. She spoke, but none of the words made sense, so instead Emiko watched mouth, intrigued by the small fangs that stuck out every time she moved her mouth.

Emiko turned her attention to the person in the middle. She was beautiful, like the woman to the left, but had a more child-like appearance than that of the other woman. She had short blue hair, and similar to the woman beside her she had pointed ears and small fangs when she spoke. She smiled brightly, almost sadistically, at Emiko, but in her disoriented state she didn't notice it. Finally turning to the furthest person to her right, she found this person to be a male, with messy red hair, but a long black braid hanging over his left shoulder. Like the women, he was attractive. He had an entertained look in his red eyes that made Emiko want to smile. He also had the pointed ears and fangs.

Now that she had observed those in front of her, she attempted to make out what they were saying. It was hard at first, everything was coherent, but it seemed to become a jumbled mess when it hit Emiko's ears. Finally though, the ringing cleared and she could make out their words.

"Do you think she's dumb or deaf?" That was the small bluette. Emiko wanted to feel offended by the notion that she might've been dumb, but found she merely laughed, a small noise that was followed by a short cough. That caught their attention, and all three pairs of eyes watched her curiously. Emiko didn't know what to say, or how to respond. So, she merely said the first thing that came to mind.

"You're all beautiful," She stated in awe. She wasn't coherent enough to feel embarrassed by her blunt statement. She merely watched their responses to her words-the man laughed and winked at her, while the two girls smiled in amusement. Emiko didn't quite understand what was so entertaining, but she found she liked when people smiled, so she smiled back.

"What should we do with her lord Crowley?" The blonde spoke quizzically. Emiko assumed Crowley was the male, so she turned her attention to him. He didn't respond, but merely continued to watch Emiko curiously.

"Why were you passed out on the battlefield?" He asked her. Emiko cocked her head to the side in surprise, and finally took in her surroundings; she did indeed seemed to be lying on a battlefield. It looked to be a ruined city, with decay and despair at every corner she could find. Rubble covered the near empty streets. Emiko turned her attention back to them.

"I don't know." She answered, her voice filled with wonderment and a childlike curiosity. She didn't sound too concerned, and she wasn't. Besides the ache in her head, she didn't look to be harmed. While a small part of her thought she needed to be cautious of the people in front of her, she wrote it off as paranoia and shrugged.

"You don't remember?" The blonde woman asked. Emiko thought hard on it, and realized that she didn't. In fact, it seemed the only thing she did remember was her name. How strange, she thought. Emiko shook her head.

"I...don't...remember...anything. Where am I?" Emiko asked, a sense of panic starting to fill her now. She didn't know much at the moment, but she did know that having no recollection of who she is or where she was, was a reason to panic. Her panic was cut short though, as the bluette in the middle started to squeal.

"Can we keep her, Lord Crowley, please? Even if she is livestock, she's adorable, I want a new plaything!" She begged Crowley, a pleading look in her eye. 'Livestock?', Emiko thought curiously. She didn't particularly like the title she had been given, but she didn't know what it meant, so she kept quiet.

"Chess…" Crowley started off, but the bluette-named Chess-didn't give him a chance to continue.

"I'll take good care of her! I'll make sure she gets food and water-I'll set up a kennel in my room for her to sleep in!" She promised. Crowley raised an eyebrow at the girl, standing up and brushing himself off.

"Even so, she's a soldier, Chess. She even has first class weapons. It's best we kill her now. Horn, take her weapons." He ordered the blonde girl. Horn moved towards Emiko, reaching for the silver gun at her left side, sitting on her hip. Emiko acted without thinking, reaching out and grabbing the woman's hand. Emiko didn't feel like herself as she glared coldly at the woman, a deep hatred settling in her heart.

"Touch that gun and it'll be the last thing you ever do." Emiko all but snarled at the surprised woman. Horn looked up at Crowley in bewilderment, unsure of how to proceed. The quick change in personality had nearly given the beautiful woman whiplash. Chess gasped suddenly, staring at Emiko with a new look of shock and fear. Crowley, however, narrowed his eyes at Emiko, watching her carefully.

"Her eyes!" Chess exclaimed, leaning towards her. "And did you see her hair, Horn? I've never seen that before!" She sounded more excited than afraid now, but Emiko had every intention of fixing that. Horn pulled her hand back to her chest, staring at Emiko warily. Emiko ignored her for now; she was in a staring contest with the male. He was the strongest of the three; if she defeated him, the other two would most likely retreat. Acting quickly, Emiko did a one-handed back handspring, kicking her leg out in hopes of hitting Horn-the woman moved back just in time. Emiko stood to her feet and grabbed each gun at her hip and pointed at the enemies. Chess and Horn both stood slowly. Emiko watched them with a mix of caution and excitement; she was itching for a good fight. And then, suddenly, a white shock of pain pierced her head, and she gasped, dropping the guns to the ground.

The pain ended quickly, and she looked back to the three people in front of her, confusion leaking into her face. "I don't...understand." She whimpered. Horn moved to take the weapons off the ground, but Crowley held out an arm, watching the girl with an unusual look of contemplation.

"Do you think the demon is taking control?" Horn asked quietly. Crowley didn't respond, taking a step towards the confused Emiko.

"We'll help you," He said, a false kindness in his voice. Emiko didn't question it; she leapt out, wrapping her arms around the tall man's torso. She let out a small sob, crying into his jacket. Crowley looked towards Horn and motioned towards the two guns lying on the ground. As soon as Horn touched the black gun lying on the ground, Emiko's head shot up, eyes locking with Horn's in warning. Crowley placed a hand on the girls head in a comforting manner. "She's only holding them for you." He spoke quietly. It was enough to appease Emiko, and she went back to crying into his jacket. Chess approached Crowley, giving him a questioning glance. Crowley shook his head, warning the girl they wouldn't speak here. Crowley gripped Emiko's shoulders, pulling her back to look at him. "Our queen can help you. Can we take you to her?" He asked, the kindness once again lacing his words. Slowly, Emiko nodded, but continued to stubbornly clutch onto Crowley when he attempted to force her away. With a playful roll of his eyes, he picked her up. The three began to walk back to the base, until the saw Emiko nod off. Then, they began to move at a brisk pace, but still slow enough to speak.

"What are you doing, Lord Crowley? She's a human, aren't we going to kill her? Or send her to the camps for livestock? Are we really going to take her to the queen?" Horn asked. Crowley nodded.

"There's something wrong with her." He stated, sounding more entertained than uneasy. The second he saw her blue eyes turn red and her blonde hair turn white, he was curious. But it was the look on her face that made him contemplate the girls true nature; He didn't believe a human capable of going from a look of complete innocence to one of such malice so easily. He sensed no deceit from the girl either. Besides, Horn and Chess couldn't tell, but the smell of her blood was...strange. She almost smelled like Mikaela, but it was different. Perhaps Horn had been right, and it was merely the demon from her weapon taking control, but he found his instincts told him differently.

"Well, duh!" Chess said with a huff of indignation. She crossed her arms over her chest with a small pout on her lips. "She seemed so cute one second, and then she turned all scary the next! Her mental state was fragile though, it was probably just the demon." She answered. Crowley shot Chess an amused glance; she became jealous so easily. Crowley said no more to his aides, and merely continued walking. Once they took a much quicker pace, they arrived at Sanguinem fairly quickly. At the doors, Crowley had a message sent to the queen, requesting a meeting. He didn't wait for a response, but merely continued on through the city towards her manor.

He received strange looks from humans and vampires alike, but he ignored all of them. He arrived at her manor quickly, being greeted at the door with a message from the queen, letting him know she was waiting for him in the throne room. He had Chess and Horn wait outside as he walked in, setting the human down on the stairs to the throne and waiting patiently for her to say something.

A mixture of emotions crossed Krul's face as she looked from Crowley to the human at her feet. First, surprise, then curiosity, and finally annoyance. She propped her face up on her hand and looked to the noble boredly. "Why is there a human from the army sleeping at my feet?" She asked Crowley sharply. He grinned.

"I thought you wanted soldiers from the army captured and under your control?" He asked lightly. Krul gave him a deadpan look. He laughed lightly. "Chess, Horn, and myself found her unconscious in Shinjuku. It seems her memories are gone and-"

"And?" Krul interrupted harshly. "She probably hit her head while fighting. I don't see the point of bothering me with her, Crowley. Get rid of her." She said dismissively. Crowley merely continued to smile.

"Very well," He replied and moved towards the slumbering girl. He raised a sword to her, and moved to stab her. Inches before his sword reached her heart, a hand snapped up, gripping the sword in her clenched fist. Blood pooled down from her hand, the scent instantly causing a hunger in both the vampires. But it was not her blood that caught the queen's attention. It was her reflexes, and the fact that her hair had turned white and her eyes were blazing red. It was unusual, to say the least, for a human. She glared at Crowley hatefully, and didn't even flinch as she gripped the sword tighter in her hand and attempted to pull it from his grip. Even Crowley was surprised as she ripped the weapon from his grip and tossed it across the room, the weapon clanging against the wall harshly before hitting the ground.

Crowley took a step back and laughed sheepishly, looking from the violent girl to the queen, amusement clear in his eyes. Krul watched the girl closely. She was curious; she'd seen humans overtaken by demons before, but she seemed different. Something about her wasn't right. Her blood smelled far too much like Mika's and she'd never seen a human's appearance change so much when possessed by a demon. Her interest was piqued.

The girl then gave a small shout, clutching at her head suddenly. The white faded back to blonde, and when she reopened her eyes, they were a deep blue. Her eyes were wide and frightened as she looked around the room, eyes landing on Krul. 'Interesting', Krul thought. 'It almost appears as if she's fighting for control with the demon, but even that isn't quite right.' Whatever it was, Krul wanted to find out.

"You say you found her in Shinjuku?' She asked Crowley once more, standing from her throne and approaching the frightened girl. She couldn't be older than eighteen, Krul realized. She was quite pretty for a human as well. She'd make a beautiful vampire. Crowley nodded at the queen, but she didn't see, too preoccupied with observing Emiko. Emiko looked at the queen as well, and slowly the fear started to fade as she realized the girl before her had no intention of hurting her-at least not at the moment. Emiko gave Krul a small, unsure smile. Krul smiled back, if not out of amusement. "And her memories? They are gone?" She continued. Crowley nodded once more. Krul gave a small hum, surveying the girl for a moment, before turning to Crowley. "You may leave." She ordered. Crowley gave a (somewhat) taunting bow, and turned, leaving the throne room.

"What is your name?" Krul asked. Emiko looked up at Krul, meeting her gaze.

"Emiko. But...I think...I prefer Emi." Emiko answered unsurely. Krul smiled.

"Very well, Emi. I am Krul, Queen of the vampires here in Japan. What all do you remember?" She asked, turning and once again sitting on her throne. Emiko stood slowly, thinking it over. What did she know? She was hoping that perhaps something had come back to her in the short while since she woke up on the street, but she was coming up with a blank.

"Nothing. It's all a blank. All I know is my name. And...and that I seem to be one person one moment, and then someone else the next. Is that normal?" She asked, looking up at Krul for help. Krul didn't respond right away. She watched all of the emotions that crossed Emi's face, wondering if perhaps she was simply a very good actress. Krul didn't get that impression. The human seemed genuinely confused. Krul sighed.

"I'm afraid I don't know what to do with you. You're clearly not normal, for various reasons. Perhaps I shou-" She was cut off by the doors opening abruptly. Both Ferid and Mika walked. Ferid looked to Krul in amusement, not even once looking at Emiko. Mika, on the other hand, looked extremely irritated, if only to the trained eye. Krul was one who could read Mikaela very well. Ferid must've done something to agitate him.

"My beloved queen, I-who is this?" Ferid asked, eyes finally landing on Emiko. Emiko was no longer paying attention to Krul or Ferid though, instead, her eyes were deadlocked on Mika. She moved quickly, so quick it managed to shock both Krul and Ferid. She had a brown whip in her hands, one that had been carried on the side of her uniform, but had been overlooked. She paid no heed to Krul or Ferid as she snapped the whip, the rope wrapping around Mika's wrist and squeezing tight. Blood spilled, the small spikes all around the whip digging into his skin.

Mika looked confused, and then pained. He moved to grapple with the whip, only to have the spikes dig into his skin deeper. He gritted his teeth and attempted to rip the whip out of her grasp. He had no luck.

Emiko stared at Mika with a hatred so deep she even felt afraid of it. "Filthy angel," Emiko snarled, pulling the whip tighter. She wished she had her guns at the moment, but Horn had never given them back. She would go looking for them later though, that was a promise.

Krul stood from her throne, moving towards Emiko at a brisk pace. "Emiko, release him now!" She ordered loudly. Emiko made no movement to release her hold. Ferid merely watched in amusement, smiling calmly.

As quickly as Emiko attacked, it was as quick as she stopped. The piercing pain traveled back through her mind once more, causing her to lose both her grip on the whip and on the situation. She fell to her knees, giving a cry of pain and clutching at her head. The hatred that had crawled into her heart had dissipated and she looked up with wide eyes, staring at the angry face of Krul.

"Oh dear," Ferid said, enjoying this far too much. "Mikaela you are bleeding all over the carpet." He chided playfully. Mika merely gripped at his injured arm, glaring at Ferid coldly.

"Mika, leave. I'll be with you in a moment." Krul told him. She slid her gaze over to Ferid. "What do you want?" She asked flatly.

"Oh, I merely had some things I wanted to speak to you about but I can see you're busy. I'll come back another time," He nearly danced out of the room, amusement written all over his features. Mika soon followed, still clutching at his injured arm. Krul sighed, looking down at Emiko once more.

"Why did you attack Mika?" She asked. Emiko's eyes widened.

"I...I don't know. One moment, I was fine, and the next...the next all I wanted to do was destroy him. All I could think was how much I hated him. What's wrong with me?" Emiko asked Krul quietly. Krul watched her carefully. Krul wasn't quite sure what was wrong with Emiko, but she had an idea. Krul reached a hand out to Emi.

"Come with me and we'll find out."


	2. Chapter 2

Emi stood frozen in the shower, scalding water rushing over her shoulders, but she was unaffected. Her mind was elsewhere, and the pain was more or less a background noise. The Vampire Queen, Krul, had instructed Emi to clean up before they talked any further. Apparently, not only did Emiko look like hell, she didn't smell very good either. A vampire servant, one who gave Emiko a scrutinizing glare, lead her to an empty guest room, where she was then lead into a shower, handed a towel, and told to rid herself of her ungodly human stench. Emiko felt offended, but had said nothing.

She was beginning to think clearer now. Her memories were still gone, but she seemed to still hold some intellect. As she thought over her situation, little seemed to make sense. For one, the seemingly split personalities she had. One moment she felt completely normal, or at least she

thought it was normal, and the next she was ready to rip someone to shreds. The latter scared her. It felt as if something dark and menacing was clenching at her heart in those moments, and she desperately wanted to rid herself of them. Both fortunately and unfortunately, the moments came and went as they pleased-or well, until the piercing flash of pain in her head snapped her out of it. That also made little sense, but though it was painful, she was thankful for it. She had already hurt one person today because of her strange personality changes, and she was hoping the pain kept her from hurting anyone else.

It didn't help that apparently she was surrounded by vampires. She hadn't registered the thought at first, she assumed she was far too confused to comprehend the thought of it, but now while she had time to truly think, she found it disturbing. She certainly believed them, if she

was being honest with herself. The red eyes, the fangs, even the pointed ears all seemed to lead her to the same conclusion. She disliked the coined term 'livestock' though. Luckily the word hadn't been spoken since she had been with Lord Crowley, but it didn't mean she didn't like it any less. She would give him, and his 'aides' a piece of her mind once she saw them again. She had a feeling in her gut that she would.

Emi spent as much time as possible delaying her meeting with Krul. Though she wanted answers, she couldn't help but feel frightened of what they might find. She almost preferred the confusion. It was no surprise when the queen herself came knocking loudly on the bathroom door after several failed attempts from the servants. Emi sighed and stepped out of the shower, fully clean, but unwilling to face what came next. She wrapped the white towel around herself and walked out to face the short queen. She glared up at Emiko, making her feel small despite the height she had over her. "Took you long enough." Krul huffed, almost pouting. Emi wouldn't dare call it pouting; at least, not to her face.

Emi didn't respond. Krul's expression became much more serious, as she studied the girl in front of her. She was certainly strange. Krul noted Emi's lack of clothing and pointed towards the bed. "While you were taking your sweet time in the shower, I had your clothes washed. You have three minutes to get changed." Krul warned, before stepping outside of the door. Emi walked towards the bed, letting her towel drop as she grabbed her former clothing. It was the attire of a soldier, but with a skirt instead of pants. It was quite cute for a military uniform, Emiko thought. She pulled on the uniform and then the socks and boots that accompanied it. She was almost out of time but she checked the pockets. She was surprised to find something; she pulled out thin, plastic card. It had a picture of her smiling face, and her information to the side.

"Emiko Matsuri. Major Captain of the Emiko team in the Moon Demon company of the vampire extermination unit." Emiko read aloud, attempting to comprehend the information. This was her, she could tell by the picture, but the fact that she couldn't remember disturbed her greatly. She wanted to know who she was, not have to read about herself off of a ID card.

"Major Captain, huh? Leading your own squad is pretty impressive. You must be strong." Emiko jumped as Krul spoke. She hadn't even noticed the short vampire queen had even walked in the room. Krul approached Emiko, taking the card from her hand and looking it over. In her haste, she hadn't thought to check the pockets of her uniform for any clues as to who the human mystery was. "And only at seventeen. You must be truly incredible. I wonder what happened then…" Krul trailed off. Emi didn't know how to respond, so she just kept quiet. Krul handed the card back to her, seeing no use keeping hold of it. Emiko placed it back in her pocket.

"Where are my guns? My whip?" Emi asked, more out of curiosity then caution. She actually preferred that she didn't have them; she was less likely to hurt someone. Krul gave her a side glance as the two began to walk out of the room.

"I have them stored away for now. After hurting my pet, I prefer you went unarmed." She explained.

"Pet?" Emiko echoed, but Krul ignored it. The walked in silence for several more minutes, until arriving at a flight of stairs. Krul looked to Emiko once more.

"Down this way if where we have our labs. We don't conduct experiments like humans do, but they should be able to discover what it is that's wrong with you." Krul told Emiko, the two beginning to walk down the stairs. Emi was nervous, but she continued on anyway. She wanted to know what was wrong with her too. After getting down the flight of stairs, they arrived at a single door, which Krul pushed open. She motioned for Emiko to walk through. Emiko did so, and Krul followed soon after.

They were almost immediately greeted by a vampire in a lab coat. He looked at Emiko with disdain, but turned to Krul with a pleasant smile and a formal bow. "Your majesty! What brings you to our lab today?" He greeted politely. Krul looked positively bored. Despite that, she motioned towards Emiko.

"I was hoping you could give me some answers. You see, this human here has lost all of her memories, but also seems to be suffering from some sort of...demonic possession. I'm not quite sure what it is actually, which is precisely why I'm here. Run some tests. I'd like to know why her memory is gone, but I'm much more interested in this demonic presence inside of her. I don't want her harmed, is that understood?" The queen asked, glaring up at the man. Emiko came to understand something very important about Krul Tepes at that moment; she may be short, and have the appearance of a pre-teen girl, but everyone was a child compared to her when it came to power. The scientist nodded, smiling meekly at his queen.

"Of course! We'll take good care of her!" He promised. The Queen nodded. She regarded him carefully, then turned her attention to Emiko, and then back to him.

"That would be wise," She stated finally. Her words were directed to the vampire scientist, but her eyes locked with Emiko's. "It won't be my fault if you end up dead." Without another word, The Queen walked out. The scientists eyes locked with Emiko's. He gave her a hateful sneer, but said nothing else. He gripped Emiko's upper arm, moving her further into the lab. Anger started to well inside of her for being treated badly, but she kept it under control;. Despite the fact that this vampire hasn't been exactly 'nice' to Emiko, she didn't want to hurt him.

"Heidi, please sit the human down and get a blood sample." A tall, pale woman with hair of mahogany, approached Emiko, taking her hand and sitting her down. She was much more gentle than the scientist was, and for that Emiko was grateful.

Began by having Emiko hold out her left arm, and sterilized one area, before pulling out a needle and sticking it in her arm without hesitation. Emiko yelped at the suddenness of the action, but said and did nothing else. She watched as she filled three small vials full of her blood, before finally pulling the needle out. The scientist from before approached taking the vials. "Good. I'll have these tested. Now I want a scan of her brain, and tests for any injuries. Once the results from her blood come back, we'll begin further testing to see just what the queen meant by 'demonic possession'.

Emiko had a feeling this was going to be a long day.

Krul arrived back at the labs the next day. She was approached by the same scientist as before, who held a grim look. Krul wasn't sure what to expect. "Welcome, my queen." He said uncertainly. Krul scowled.

"Have you discovered what's wrong with her?" She asked flatly. He didn't answer right away. He looked over his clipboard, his brows pulled together in a look of concern and confusion.

"We've discovered her memory loss is from a serious blow to her head, recent. Within the last forty-eight hours. Just from looking at where it hit, we can determine the blow should've killed her. However, the 'thing' inside of her seems to have given her accelerated healing abilities, and though her skull was cracked and the tissue of her brain was badly damaged, it is healing at an alarming rate for a human. The damage done to her head should be completely within the next week. Whether her memories ever come back is up in the air at the moment. Her pain receptors have also been damaged, but they are healing quickly as well, and should be back to normal in a few days. Because of this, I would suggest putting her on pain medication while the rest of her heals. She suffered internal injuries as well, two broken ribs, and three heavily bruised. There was some internal bleeding, but it's already healed itself. I have no explanation for the headaches." He said with a frown.

"The headaches?" Krul asked. He nodded.

"I had Heidi ask the human about her symptoms. She explained the change in personality, but explained that not long after she is afflicted with a short, but extremely painful headache that brings her back to her senses. The affliction baffles me, to be honest. As I said, her pain receptors are damaged, and she doesn't feel pain at the moment." He answered. Krul nodded, attempting to digest the information just given to her. Krul didn't quite care as much about Emiko's physical health, but knew that it was important to further discovering what was wrong with her.

"And what is wrong with her?" Krul asked, phrasing the sentence in such a way that one could tell she was no longer asking about her physical health. The troubled look on the scientist's face increased.

"We are...unsure." He said nervously. He glanced at Krul to see her expression, but found her face to be blank. He continued. "She appears human. From Heidi's report, she thinks like a human, acts like a human, smells like a human. She doesn't heal as fast as a vampire, but she heals far too quickly for a normal human. Occasionally we've seen her eyes flash red as well. She said in her interview with Heidi that when someone does something to anger her is when the other...side of her takes over. We'd like your permission to experiment on bringing this side out, so we can better understand her." He explained. Krul nodded her permission.

"Do as you will to bring this side of her out, but remember that I don't want her harmed and that she is more...volatile in these moments. I have not seen the full extent of her capabilities when this side of her is pulled forth. Do be cautious." With that, Krul left.

It was a week after Emiko had returned from the labs to the main floor. It was both astonishing and amazing how quickly Emiko lost the fear and timidness Krul had come to know her by and became someone completely different. She was...vivacious. Krul had a hard time keeping up with her, to be honest. She was extremely hyperactive, and her brain seemed to run at a hundred miles an hour.

She was no longer so confused, which Krul believed to be the reasoning behind her personality change. She supposed anyone would become a frightened, timid mess when they had lost all of their memories. Currently, Krul was sitting in front of the vanity in her room as Emiko brushed her silken hair for her, chatting away happily about the prank she pulled on an unsuspecting kitchen maid just hours ago. Apparently, she was still hiding out to avoid retaliation.

Krul found herself smiling. She actually reminded Krul of Asura, in a strange way. Asura had always taken things in stride, and he was known for his mischievous streak. Emiko mirrored these traits to a tee. It made her feel nostalgic, but not in a bad way. She missed her brother.

"Emi," Krul said, interrupting the girls string of words. Emiko stopped abruptly, and blinked down at Krul owlishly, her way of showing she was listening. "Do you remember anything yet?" She asked. Emi got quiet for a moment, thinking over the brief flashes of memories. Finally, she shrugged.

"Everything's starting to come back, I think. Small memories, brief flashes of things. I remember my childhood before the virus, and I remember faces of people I once knew, but I can't put a name to them or how I know them." A troubled look crossed over Emi's face, reminding Krul that though she seemed to have a forever happy disposition, things did still trouble her. Losing one's memories certainly wasn't an easy ordeal. Though she was a human, Krul found herself sympathizing with her.

Emiko finished brushing Krul's hair and began working on the pigtails. "Have the labs learned anything?" She asked, hoping to make a change of conversation. Krul caught it, but said nothing.

"I got a report yesterday," Krul said with a sigh. "You apparently seem human when you first encounter someone, even to us vampires, but upon closer inspection you seem to be something else entirely. In your current state, you are about as fast and strong as a normal vampire. You heal quickly as well, though not at the rate a vampire does. Your other side is a different story. We don't know for sure what the capacity of your power is, but you are extremely strong, fast, and durable. You heal as quickly as I would. Your bloodlust in this form seems to go up exponentially as well, though I wouldn't say it was 'demonic' level. To be quite honest, we have no clue what this other side of you is or what is causing it. We know it was something that came about later in your life, considering your normal human childhood." Krul answered.

"So...what now?" Emiko asked curiously. Krul hummed in response. She wasn't quite sure herself. Many thoughts came to mind. She could keep her here, in her home. She was certainly inclined to it. She enjoyed the hyperactive human's presence more than she could ever admit, and she didn't like the idea of parting with her. Still, it would become strange for Krul to keep a (seemingly) human pet around.

She could send her out to live like the livestock, but there were several problems with that plan; for one, Krul didn't like the idea of any vampire drinking her blood. It was something even Krul hadn't tried yet. She was cautious as to what might happen. She didn't think it would harm her, but there was always the possibility. There was also the fact that she might stir up trouble and call unnecessary attention to herself. Emiko instantly called attention to herself with her attitude.

She would also be one of the oldest humans in the city, and the prettiest. Some vampires might find it disgusting to sleep with the 'livestock' but others didn't see it that way. Krul didn't want her new toy getting traumatized. However, it was much more likely that the other side of Emiko would take over and Krul would have a city wide panic over the human that killed the vampire. Krul certainly didn't want to deal with that. There was also the fact that even the word 'livestock' could send Emiko into a rage.

No, sending her off to be one of the 'livestock' didn't seem to be a good idea at all. Krul didn't want to share, but she also couldn't keep her here. She could send her to be kept under the care of one of the nobles.

The idea of sending her to Bathory made Krul want to gag, but Emiko had already shown to be quite loyal to Krul. She would be entertainment to Ferid, thus he'd be inclined to keep her around, and Emiko could feed Krul information on the meddlesome noble. It was an appealing idea, but the idea of letting Bathory entertain himself with Krul's new favorite made her want to punch something.

Then there was the idea of sending her to live with Crowley and his two aides. Crowley certainly wasn't the most trustworthy, but he wasn't as despicable as Ferid. He was already curious about Emiko, so keeping himself amused would make sure he protected her. He was under Ferid's orders as well, but if Krul ordered him to not take commands from Ferid concerning Emiko then that would solve that problem. There was also the fact that Emiko would most likely enjoy her stay with him and his aides. Chess Belle and Horn Skuld were certainly entertaining and Krul had no doubt they'd get along with Emiko once they gave her a chance. Crowley was also an entertaining figure, and Emiko might find herself just as intrigued with him as he is with her.

The thought brought a scowl to Krul's face. She didn't like the idea of Crowley taking Emiko away from her. Still, out of all of her options, it was the less chaotic one. This way there was a higher chance of Emiko surviving, as well as all the vampire's around her.

"Emi," Krul said, capturing the girl's attention once more. She'd gone back to fixing Krul's hair, and was now tying in the bow and humming to herself. "In a few weeks, you're going to stay with Crowley Eusford." Krul informed her. Emi immediately started pouting.

"But why~? I want to stay here!" She whined. Krul glared up at Emi sharply.

"You can't stay here. Staying here will raise suspicion. It's best that the progenitor council doesn't find out about you, and staying here will almost surely bring you to their knowledge. He is the one who saved you, are you not grateful?" Krul asked. Emi puffed out her cheeks in annoyance, glaring at the smirking vampire queen.

"Of course i'm grateful!" Emi huffed. "It's just...one of the girls with him called me livestock. Livestock! How many times have I mentioned I hate that word? I can't control my other side, you know that. What if she says it again?" Emi asked. Krul shrugged, uncaring. She stood up, every hair in place and looking as pristine and polished as usual. She moved towards the door.

"I'll make it clear to Crowley and his aides that particular word is not to be used around you. Better?" Krul asked flatly, looking at Emiko over her shoulder. Emiko pouted once more, but it was quickly covered up with a troubled look.

"It's just...I want to stay here with you, Krul. We're friends. I trust you." It was Krul's turn to look troubled. She'd never had any admit that to her, especially someone she was planning on using for her own gain. Krul glared at Emiko coldly.

"We are not and will never be friends, Emiko. We are on opposite sides of the board. Don't mistake that." Her word were cruel, and blunt. Emiko was quiet for a moment, observing Krul silently. Slowly, a big grin broke out on Emiko's face and she lunged towards the small queen. Because Krul was surprised, and because she secretly enjoyed it, she allowed Emiko to wrap her arms around her and hug her tightly.

"Aw~! You know you love me!" Emiko laughed. Krul shoved at Emi playfully, a small smile crawling over her lips.

"Do not! Let go!" Krul growled back with mirth. Emiko only laughed more. There was a sudden knock on the door, pulling Emiko and Krul from their play fighting. Emiko pulled away from Krul as the door opened, long silver wisps of hair alerting them to who it was before even seeing his face.

"Ferid!" Emiko cheered, racing towards him and wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He smiles and twirls the girl around before setting her down beside him. She leans up towards him.

"Chu~" Emiko placed a kiss on his cheek and then skipped back to Krul. Ferid laughed, eyes sparkling as he watched Emiko, before turning to look at Krul.

"I see your new pet is as lively as ever! Really, Krul, keeping her all to yourself. It simply isn't fair." Ferid pouted. Krul wrapped her arms around Emiko's middle, hugging onto the girl.

"Oh but as you say, she is lively, and oh so adorable. The idea of sharing her with you is sickening." Krul said, voice sickly sweet. Ferid pretended not to hear the insult. Krul stopped smiling and pulled away from Emiko, approaching Ferid.

"Emiko, please leave. Ferid and I have much to discuss." Krul said seriously. Emiko sighed in disappointment but moved to leave. She smiled cutely at Ferid before she left, who returned the smile with a smirk. As the door shut behind her, Ferid turned to Krul, smirk still plastered across his face.

Emiko found herself feeling extremely bored. Krul was the only person who lived in the manor that actually spoke to Emiko like a person, so she didn't really have anyone to entertain herself with. She skipped down the halls, humming to herself, occasionally doing little spins or cartwheels.

"Human!" Uh oh. Emiko took a look back and then took off at a run. It seemed retribution was coming.

 **Hello all! I hope you have enjoyed the second chapter of 'two souls'! I really enjoy writing for this, and I hope I am doing the character's justice! I wanted to show Krul who cared for others, but was also playful, so I hope you can still see her as her but with this just being a side of her! As for Emiko, she seems a bit mary-sue at the moment, but that's for a distinct reason. In the chapters to come you'll learn that she isn't as happy as she seems and that there is a very important reason she acts the way she does.**

 **Anyway, I hope you are enjoying the story and will continue to read! I enjoy hearing from all of you and read every review with a smile on my face! Next chapter we see Crowley come back into the picture! Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

Krul sat boredly at her throne, once again finding her face pressed into her hand. Crowley was fifteen minutes late, which irritated the vampire queen greatly. Still, she waited, knowing he'd show eventually. Not just because he'd never refuse a summon from his queen, but also because he distinctly knew it was about Emiko. Similar to Ferid, Crowley always acted depending on what would bring him the most amusement. Though Crowley wasn't quite as sadistic and unpredictable as Ferid was.

The large, heavy doors to the throne room opened and Krul sat up in anticipation. Finally, she thought with a sense of relief. The red haired vampire walked in confidently, perhaps pompously, and even dared to send the queen a charming smile. Krul found it interesting how these were habits Ferid had that she despised, but found more amusing than anything when paired on Crowley. She supposed the saying 'when you hate someone, everything they do irritates you' was a bit true in that sense.

"My queen," Crowley beamed, giving a small, polite bow. "I apologize for my tardiness, but my aides got a bit hungry on the way over. Chess caused a bit of commotion and, well, you've met her." He responded with a small laugh tagged on at the end. Krul raised an eyebrow.

"Uh huh," She said disapprovingly, eyes boring into his in displeasure. She then sighed. "Am I to assume the seventeenth progenitor has caused another mess in the city?" She asked bluntly. Crowley only laughed once more, confirming Krul's assumption.

Krul stood from her throne and approached the noble. She had more important things than discussing the poor self-restraint shown by her subjugates. "Emiko, the girl you found in Shinjuku, i'm putting her into your care." She explained. Crowley showed no hint of surprise, only smiled mischievously and nodded his head.

"Of course, my queen. Shall we depart today?" He asked, eager to have the interesting little livestock in his care. Krul narrowed her eyes at him and took a step closer, until she was right in front of him. She glared up at him.

"She's mine, Crowley." She said with a small snarl that Crowley only barely managed to catch. "She's my toy. You are to protect her, watch over her, and report back on her behavior to me. If she is harmed or killed or even remotely displeased with her treatment you will not like the consequences." Krul threatened lowly.

"I would never attempt to take your things." Crowley amended. "I merely find the girl interesting, that is all. I will watch her and keep her safe from harm." He promised lightly.

"Good," Krul said, turning her back on him, but then stopped. She looked over her shoulder at him. "Your interest in her is not unfounded." Krul admitted hesitantly. Crowley's eyes sparkled with anticipation at the queen's words. "She is an anomaly even I do not fully understand yet. Be interested in her all you want, but don't let your guard down. She may look and act human, but her power rivals our own. It is because of this, I have had our labs create these," Krul held out two small orange bottles with white caps, filled to the brim with round pills. She tossed them to Crowley, who caught them easily.

"What do they do?" He asked curiously. Krul sat back in her throne lazily, once again plopping her cheek in the palm of her hand.

"One of them reins in the monster inside of her, the other brings the monster forth. I would not suggest using both pills within six hours of each other. One must wear off before the other can take affect. We don't know exactly what might happen if you give her both within that time frame, but we suspect nothing good." Krul explained.

"How long after ingested do they take effect?" He asked, studying the bottles carefully.

"The one to stop the monster acts almost instantly-ten to twenty seconds is the longest its taken to calm her. To bring the beast forth is a little longer-three minutes is usually the earliest it takes effect, but it takes no longer than ten. Use these pills sparingly, they wreak havoc on her body and I don't want my pet dying, do you understand?" Krul asked strictly. He nodded, not really paying attention to Krul's threats. He'd heard them all before anyway.

"I am a bit curious as to why she needs these. Are you not already aware of what triggers these transformations? We've both seen how quickly they end as well." He points out. Krul sighed.

"Yes, well, with the return of her memories and the healing of her body, they've become more...unpredictable. The outbursts happen less and less, and it takes far more for her to become angry or frightened enough to trigger them. The 'headache' she gets that usually ends the episode still happen, but not as frequently, and not always. We have to knock her out to stop them now more often than not, and the labs suspect the headache that stops the episode will eventually go away altogether. The pills are safer and more effective." She answered boredly. Crowley stuffed the pills into his coat pocket.

"When do we leave?" He asked politely.

"Tonight," She said. "She'll need to stay by your or one of your aides sides at all moments once she leaves the house, until she arrives at your manor. Ferid has also taken a particular interest in her and I don't want him near her. When it comes to Emiko, he has no say in anything, do you understand?" She asked strictly. He smirked and nodded. The rivalry between the two always managed to amuse Crowley-though he preferred to stay out of the issue himself. Both were powerful and he had no interest on getting on either of their bad sides.

"Understood," He said pleasantly. She watched him carefully, and then nodded, satisfied with his response.

"Good," She said, standing once more and walking towards the door, but stopped before walking out, giving him a reluctant look, as if she didn't want to spoil some surprise, but knew if she didn't the results could be disastrous. "Bad treatment from vampires tends to irritate or upset her. Calling her 'livestock' will immediately send her flying into a rage." She informed him.

"Of course," He said, voice not once losing it's honey sweet tone. "Shall I stop referring to demons as demons and vampires as vampires as well?" He asked. Krul narrowed her eyes to slits, her dislike of his tone and words obvious. Slowly though, a smirk spread across Krul's face, one of sadistic pleasure. Crowley instantly felt a bit unnerved.

"By all means, make fun. Just know, the last person to call Emiko 'livestock' had their head chopped off. With a butter knife." Crowley rubbed his neck sorely as Krul left the room. He didn't expect the girl to be quite so vicious.

He was even more surprised of her supposed 'violent' temperament, when he ran into her later that day. She was running down the halls, a giant grin on her face as she laughed. Crowley instantly caught a whiff of her scent. His eyes darkened in hunger. He'd met quite a few of those Imperial demon army soldiers, and for some reason they all smelled quite good. Perhaps it was their fighting spirits? He didn't know, but he found she smelled even more delectable. Krul never did ban him from tasting her, did she?

Emiko came to an abrupt halt only a few feet in front of him once she noticed him standing in her way. She blinked in surprise at his chest first, and then looked up to meet his gaze. He smirked down at her, but she merely tilted her head to the left in surprise.

"Ah-I remember you!" She suddenly chirped, a smile growing over her lips once more. She clapped her hands in delight. "You're Crowley, correct?" She asked. He nodded, watching her in amusement. She really was so entertaining. He found it funny she didn't remember him-or perhaps she was pretending. He didn't know her well enough to know if she was that cunning. "I'm Emiko, but please, call me Emi! Krul's already told me I'm staying with you! I hope we can become friends!" She said politely.

"Get back here you nasty, conniving human brat! I'm going to rip your throat out!" Emiko suddenly winced at the words, a grim look crossing her face. Emiko turned on her heel to face the approaching 'threat', but took a few steps back, so she was partly shielded by Crowley. Running down the hall came a kitchen maid, waving a ladle high in the air. She was covered in honey and colored feathers, and wore a look that could kill. She came to a screeching halt once she saw lord Crowley.

"L-lord C-c-Crowley." The kitchen maid stuttered out nervously, eyes darting between him and Emiko. Emiko grinned, sticking her tongue out at the kitchen maid.

"I don't believe the Queen would be too thrilled if you ripped her toys throat out." Crowley said with a small chuckle. Emiko flinched at the word 'toy'. She had grown accustomed to Krul referring to her that way, even seeing it as a term of endearment, but coming from Crowley's mouth just made it seem wrong again.

"I-I…" She looked down, awaiting her punishment. Before Crowley could do anything further, Emiko sprung into action, leaping towards the kitchen maid and hugging onto her tightly, effectively knocking the both of them onto the ground. Emiko giggled, a sound Crowley found a bit pleasing to the ears.

"You're so cute, Misa-Chan!"

"Let go of me you lousy human! I will bite you!" 'Misa-Chan' threatened, wriggling to get out of the surprisingly strong human's grip. Emiko only giggled more, hugging on tighter. She was ruining her 'livestock' uniform, smearing it with honey and feathers as well, which she didn't seem to care too much about.

"Aw, you know I bite back!" Emiko teased.

"Chess," Crowley said suddenly, shocking both Misa-Chan and Emiko to look up at him. Seeing he had accidentally spoken aloud, Crowley smiled down at Emiko. "I think you'll get along well with Chess." He answered the unspoken question. Emiko smiled.

"Of course!" Emiko chirped, though for a moment it almost sounded like she had scoffed. "I get along with everyone." The answer startled Crowley for just a moment; not because he didn't believe it to be true, but merely that a human would admit such a thing. Emiko seemed to have recognized her blunder as well, but was soon distracted by Misa-chan.

"I don't!" Misa-chan yelled in outrage, once again shoving at Emiko. "I hate you! I wish you'd die!" She snarled. Emiko seemed unaffected by Misa-chan's hateful words and angry tone. Emiko looked ready to tease the poor maid again, but was soon stopped by Krul.

"Emiko, how many times have I told you not to antagonize my servants?" Krul said with a resigned sigh. Emiko looked up at Krul and smiled, white teeth shining. She was the picture of innocence, but for the first time today, Crowley wasn't so sure he believed it. It unnerved Crowley, though he'd never admit it. Even upon first meeting Ferid he'd known the man's true personality. This human-thing was a mystery though. Was it because she was missing so many important memories, and didn't know who she was herself? Or was there something so much darker that lurked in her personality-something carefully hidden behind false smiles and a happy attitude? Crowley was eager to find out.

Emiko didn't have many things. Of course, she'd never been given her gun or whip back, but she would be allowed to have them once more for the trip, which she was excited about. She had her uniform from the Army, but she didn't wear it-Krul said it would draw too much attention to her in Sanguinem streets. It was better she wore a version of the Livestock uniform. It was exactly the same as any of the girl's outfits in the city, except for the coloring. The base layer was black with the secondary color being a dark gray. Emiko had complained about the clothes being extremely 'drab', but her complaints had fallen on deaf ears.

Emiko was almost certain Krul could turn her hearing off by force of will.

She watched herself in the mirror, cocking her head to the side as she followed her eyes. They were a deep blue and quite pretty, usually always lightened by a look of cheer always gracing her face. As she watched herself in the mirror, the look was nowhere to be seen. Instead, something similar to contemplation had taken over her features. Contrary to popular belief, Emiko was by no means an airhead, like many of the staff believed. She wasn't the smartest person either, but she was observant. Even without consciously doing so she often found herself watching others, observing their habits and behaviors.

In their first meeting, Emiko had been too dazed to really do any observing on Crowley or his aides, but she had paid attention their second meeting in the hallway earlier today. He'd seem...amused, intrigued, interested. They were all things Emiko seemed to pull from many vampires. Hell, she even managed to pull it from herself. What had concerned Emiko was the flash of playfulness that had entered his eyes. It was a certainly harmless expression to wear-for humans. For vampires, it usually made her nervous. Ferid wore that expression often around her, and it always unsettled her greatly. Emiko would admit it to no one, not even Krul, but she was frightened by Ferid.

And anyone who reminded Emiko of him was instantly suspicious.

Still, it wasn't like she had any choice. Krul had made that clear. So, with merely a backpack with her uniform, a pair of night clothes, and her uniform boots, she set out to the main Foyer. Waiting patiently was Crowley, Krul, Chess, and Horn. Emiko stopped for half a second to observe each other of their faces.

First was Chess; the one Crowley had said she would get along with. Though she held a bit of a grudge for the 'livestock' comment she'd made in the beginning, Emiko had to agree. The bright smile on her face, the small jump in her step as she moved in place. She nearly mimicked Emiko in cheerfulness. Emiko could get along with anyone who could match her happy-go-lucky attitude, which is what Chess appeared to have. She hoped they'd get along too; Emiko could use a friend-a real friend.

Which brought her to Krul. Emiko adored Krul, as Krul adored Emiko. But though both played pretend, but the truth was they were not friends. Adoration did not make friendship and though the two got along surprisingly well, it was clear that because of Krul's position, and because of the monster inside Emiko she wanted to exploit, they would never be friends. It was a beautiful dream though, Emiko had decided at the beginning of her stay. She decided she preferred dreaming to reality. So even when awake, Emiko dreamed.

Standing beside Krul was Crowley. He was as smug and pompous as he always looked. It reminded her a bit of something, but she couldn't tell what. A small niggle in the back of her brain-she could taste it but she couldn't name it. It frustrated Emiko to no end, but she pretended it didn't. Finally, she came to Horn. Emiko admittedly didn't know much about her. She was incredibly beautiful, and elegant. She liked her dress too. Perhaps she and Chess would share their wardrobes with her. Heavens know Emiko needed more clothes.

Emiko skipped down the stairway, smiling brightly at the small group of people. Krul looked over Emiko carefully. She would be walking with Crowley, Horn, and Chess, but she would be walking through the middle of Sanguinem. It would already arouse suspicion, her outfit as well, but hopefully not enough for anything to reach the council. She wore her hair down, which Krul had specifically instructed her to do-she already smelled delicious, she didn't need the sight of her neck tempting any hungry vampires out for guard duty. Krul studied her face next; she had a bright, cheerful smile on her face-a normal for the girl. It wasn't quite as real though. There was something elastic to it that worried Krul. She'd seen that smile only once before, and it was the day after Emiko had remembered her younger years. She had refused to tell Krul of it, even after several threats. She had eventually let it go, but that smile still worried her.

"Behave," Krul warned her fiercely. Emiko's smile turned slightly more genuine.

"No promises," She sang, and then gave one of her signature leaping hugs, nearly tackling the powerful vampire queen to the floor. Krul allowed it, because she would miss the girl. She was prime time entertainment, but she also made Krul feel like a child again. It was something Krul missed deeply.

After a few seconds Emiko pulled away from Krul and stood up, smiling a small, real smile at Krul. It was one that showed her uncertainty and hesitation. Krul gave an almost imperceptible nod at Emiko. It was the only comfort she could give her. It seemed to be enough for Emiko, as she skipped towards Crowley, standing a few feet away to his side.

Walking through the streets of Sanguinem with three vampire nobles beside her was extremely uncomfortable. She received stares from humans and vampires alike, each with a different range of emotion from disgust to curiosity. It was disconcerting, but Emiko kept the feeling off of her face and instead engaged Chess and Horn about their outfits. Chess spoke animatedly, but Horn was a bit standoffish at first. It was easy to tell that she was cautious of Emiko.

Emiko didn't blame her. _Emiko_ was a bit cautious of herself, with good reason. She'd gained better control of this other side of her, but not fully. "Yes, Horn is a wonderful seamstress! Horn, would you make Emiko some cute clothes?" Chess chirped, pulling Emiko from her dark thoughts.

"Oh, I can do it!" Emiko spoke, without realizing her words. All three vampires stopped walking, watching Emiko curiously. Emiko froze as well, cocking her head to the side in confusion. 'That was strange', she thought unsurely.

"You can sew?" Horn asked, pleasantly enough. Her words only further confused Emiko. Could she sew? She wasn't sure. She'd spoken without thinking. Did that mean she could? Or did she merely want to learn? She furrowed her brows in confusion and looked up at Horn.

"I don't know," She said. "But I'd like to try!" She responded, walking once more. The others followed after Emiko's answer, though they still seemed curious. Horn smiled lightly at her.

"You're welcome to use my sewing machine." She said warmly. Emiko brightened at that, and smiled back at the woman. Emiko stopped once she saw the mansion the nobles were walking towards. It wasn't as large as Krul's mansion, but somehow managed to seem even more exquisite. The outside was a marble white with light gray accents. Marble and stone pillars lined the edges, and the gardens out front were well kept, though Emiko doubted Crowley really cared about them. He didn't seem like the type to care too much about appearances. When Emiko looked towards the vampires once more, she found Crowley was nowhere to be seen, leaving Emiko with the two female nobles. They stared expectantly at Emiko. She smiled and moved to walk with them once more.

The interior was just as beautiful as the exterior. Everything was tastefully styled and well kept. Emiko decided that if she ever had a mansion of her own, she'd want it to look like this. Chess and Horn showed Emiko most of the rooms in the mansion, the kitchen, the dining hall, the billiards room. On and on, until Emiko felt her feet getting sore.

She stopped them in the pool room. "Where's my room?" Emiko asked.

"Ah, I forgot, you'd probably like to rest. It is late after all." Horn said apologetically. The two then lead Emiko up to the third floor, to the left and down five doors. It was a simple oak door, that Horn pushed open. Emiko stared in shock as she walked in.

"Crowley gave us full decorating rights!" Chess giggled. Emiko was, in one word, impressed. The room was a mixture of pinks and blues, a weird combination if not done right, but it seemed Horn and Chess were professionals. The bed itself was a dark blue while the comforter was a pastel pink with white accents. Emiko turned back to the girls with a smile.

"Thank you!" She chirped, hugging each noble quickly, but then letting out a yawn.

"We'll let you rest," Horn said kindly.

"But-" Chess started but Horn sent her a short glare, making the short bluenette pout. Horn grabbed Chess' hand and nearly dragged the sulking noble out of the room, shutting the door behind her. Emiko sighed and collapsed on the bed.

She fell asleep almost instantly.

 **Hello friendlies! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! It was a lot of fun to write! So sorry it took so long to get out! It took suuper long to write (the ending was difficult, and I still don't like it) and I have a lovely volunteer who's looking it over now to beta it, but I didn't want to leave this story without updating it for any longer, so I'm posting this unedited version now. I have the next chapter completely written as well so expect that soon too! I hope to update my story Tempest beforehand though, so please be patient!**

 **Also, this needs mentioning, this cheerful story is about to get suuuuper dark next chapter. Like, morbid even. I warned you all that Emiko is not nearly as happy go lucky as she seems and it's about to come out next chapter. I'm taking that darkness slowly though, so some things may confuse or even irritate you at first. (Trust me, I already know what the response may be to a few things from the next chapter, and I know it may be a bit irritating without further explanation, which is, with some debate, what I'm doing anyway.) Anyway, just a fair warning, and I'll warn you again of the beginning of the next chapter as well. hope you enjoyed and please review if you have time!**


	4. Chapter 4

Out of all of the rooms in Crowley's mansion, she adored the music room the most. One of the first memories Emiko managed to regain was that of her musical abilities. She remembered playing an assortment of instruments: The Piano, Violin, flute, even the harp. She suspected she played more as well. Luckily, the music room had all kinds of instruments, and Emiko was determined to find out just how many of them she played. She dragged her fingers across the harp, when there was a knock at the door. Emiko looked up as Horn stepped into the room, smiling politely, as always. Emiko was determined to get a real smile out of her one of these days.

"You play?" She asked calmly, motioning her eyes towards the harp. Emiko nodded.

"Quite well, actually," She replied with a laugh, eyes sparkling as she looked over the instruments. "I had a memory of playing the piano, and then the violin. I decided to see if I played any others, and apparently I play the flute, harp, and Cello as well." Emiko explained.

"Do you remember any other talents of yours?" She asked curiously, taking a seat beside Emiko as she strummed her fingers against the harp once more, pulling a beautiful tune.

"Well we discovered that I can sew, though I don't have any memories of learning. I remember taking Gymnastics as a kid, and ballet." Emiko shrugged. "I don't remember really learning anything else, though most things are still fuzzy." Emiko admitted. Horn smiled and nodded.

"It's still early. What did Dr. Hashimoto say during your checkup yesterday?" Horn asked. Emiko smiled.

"He said that if memories are still coming back then there's a chance I'll remember everything. There was a bit of an accident though…" Emiko trailed off, looking the other way. It had an unfortunate accident, one of Dr. Hashimoto's nurses had dropped a vial of Emiko's blood and his bloodlust had drove him to attack her. No one could administer one of the pills or knock her out before she killed him. Luckily, Crowley was present and had managed to restrain her before she attacked anyone else, though not without earning some deep scratches when his arms came a bit too close to her nails.

"Lord Crowley mentioned the...incident yesterday." Horn responded hesitantly. Emiko bit her lip and nodded.

"Well, what did you come here for?" Emiko chirped, desperate to change the subject. Emiko felt guilty about yesterday, and she didn't want to dwell on it. Horn nodded and stood.

"Lord Crowley sent me. He wants to test your fighting abilities." Horn relayed the message she was sent with. Emiko nodded and skipped beside Horn as they moved down the hallway. Emiko promised to meet her and Crowley in the gymnasium as soon as she changed. Horn nodded and left to inform Crowley. Emiko hummed to herself as she walked, finding her room easily and stepping inside to change.

Emiko had been in Crowley's mansion only a little more than forty-eight hours, but yet she already knew it well. She pulled her Army uniform out of her closet and began to put it on. Of course, she had other clothing better for sparring, but Emiko felt most comfortable in her uniform, especially when fighting, even if it was only sparring. After pulling on her boots over her thigh-highs, she moved towards her vanity, and pulled her hair up in a ponytail. Emiko hated wearing her hair up in a place full of vampires, but her hair would get in the way if she didn't pull it up.

Emiko grabbed her guns and whip off her dresser and moved towards the gymnasium. Crowley, Chess, Horn, and three men in army uniforms were already waiting in the room. Two of the men she didn't recognize, but one she did. Mika. Emiko grinned at him and waved, jumping towards him.

"Mika!" She beamed as she ran at him, with full intentions to pull him into a bone crushing hug. That was her plan, but Mika managed to point his sword at her throat before she could get to him. The two men beside him tensed, but Mika only glared at Emiko. She laughed nervously, and took a step back, scratching the back of her head sheepishly. "I deserved that. How is your arm?" She asked, trying to keep things pleasant. He only glared harsher. "Right, not over that. Would it help if I said I was sorry?" She asked hopefully. No change in his expression. She sighed, but she wasn't all that upset. "So gloomy," She huffed, pouting, but then turning to the other men.

They were both vastly different, in appearance and manner, she could already tell. One of them was a bit taller than the other, with dark hair held up on the back of his head. He looked unconcerned with her, perhaps even a bit disgusted. Emiko could only hope he knew not to use the 'L' word when around her, or she might strangle him.

The other was a few inches shorter than his companion, and had purple hair, also held up like his friend's. He had a smirk on his face, but seemed to be observing her in the same way she was observing him. Emiko couldn't tell if his arrogance spurted from intelligence she had yet to see, or if he was falsely so pompous. She shrugged internally, and jumped towards the two of them, grinning mischievously.

"Are you my victi-opponents?"She corrected herself, The dark haired one's eyes narrowed, but the purple-haired one merely laughed.

"You will spar with them, yes." Crowley said behind her, moving to join the conversation. "This is Lacus and Rene," He introduced, pointing to each of them. He then motioned to her. "This is Emiko." She gave a small, almost mocking, salute. Rene's eyes narrowed further.

"Do you have any idea of what weapons you have mastered?" Crowley pointed the question at Emiko. She hummed in thought and then shrugged.

"Well Mirai, obviously." She said, grabbing hold of her twin guns, swinging them around on her fingers, and then placing them back in their holsters. She then held out her whip, and Mika stepped back. She placed it back at her hip. "I don't know if I'm any good with others weapons though. I would assume I'm good with a sword." She answered. Crowley grinned and motioned towards Mika. Mika moved to attack, but Emiko held up a hand.

"If this gets bloody-"

"I have the pills." Crowley interrupted, holding up the little orange bottle. Emiko nodded and shrugged. She motioned towards the sword around his hip. He laughed but shook his head and instead motioned towards Lacus and Rene. Rene scowled but grabbed the sword from around his hip and handed it over to Emiko. Mika didn't waste any time, rushing towards Emiko, sword at the ready. Emiko laughed and jumped back, holding up the sword in almost perfect stance. It was a natural reaction for her, holding her sword up at the ready. She grinned as Mika lunged again, this time the two clashing swords.

The two danced, with Mika on the offensive, Emiko holding him off. Of course, Mika overpowered Emiko after five minutes, her sword flying across the room. Emiko held up her hands in surrender as he pointed his sword at her chest. Crowley moved towards them, eyes contemplative.

"You fight well with a sword," Crowley appraised Emiko. "You know the correct stances and blocks. It appears you stumbled several times throughout the fight however, which is where Mika overpowered you. Why did you stumble?" He asked. Emiko was breathing heavily as she responded.

"The sword is heavy." She whined, though her eyes reeled as she replayed the fight in her head. She was watching every mistake, and memorizing them. "And he was moving too fast, I couldn't keep up. Going on the offensive was impossible." She pointed out. He nodded.

"Correct. We will practice your swordplay from now on. Horn, add her swordplay skills to the report. How is your hand to hand combat?" He asked. She shrugged once more. Rene stepped forward this time, and took the correct combative stance. Emiko huffed in another breath of air, and then did the same.

She did surprisingly well. Of course, Rene's strength was a great weakness for her, though she managed to use it against him in the beginning, until he figured out what she was doing and changed his tactics. Despite being a very capable hand to hand combatant, she wasn't quite good enough to fight an opponent so obviously stronger than her, and within four minutes she had lost.

"I can't say too much about your hand to hand skills. Your skilled, but you lack the finesse to fight against an opponent stronger than you are. How would you survive if you went up against a vampire without a weapon?" Crowley asked inquisitively. She shrugged.

"Memory loss, remember?" She asked, a bit snappish. She didn't like Crowley pointing out her flaws. He grinned mockingly, and then pointed towards a shelf with a bow and several arrows, and then a target. Emiko rolled her eyes and pulled out her guns and shot towards the targets without even looking, amazingly hitting the center of each target. "I don't need a bow." She growled back. He laughed outright at that, and pinched her cheek. She swatted him away and scowled.

"Humor me." He ordered. Emiko huffed and pouted. Noticing he hadn't moved from his spot, she rolled her eyes and moved towards the bow and arrows. She grabbed the bow and an arrow and moved closer to the target, and then shot. It hit the outer edge of the target. Lacus laughed, and he immediately found himself on the other end of a very heated, red-eyed glare. He snickered but calmed his laughter.

"Perhaps a break. You seem to be getting upset," Crowley was bullying her now, she just knew it. Out of anger, she pulled Mirai-Onna out and pointed the twin guns at Crowley. Horn and Chess moved in tandem to his defense, but he held out his hand, stopping them in place. His eyes sparkled with mirth, and Emiko took that as a challenge. She shot. He was gone before the bullets could hit him. "Behind you," His voice was right next to her ear, and she spun around, ready to shoot at him again, but he was no longer there.

Her expression hardened, and black flames began to lick at her hands as she activated her curse. She hardly noticed that her eyes had turned crimson red or that the others had moved to the edge of the room to watch in anticipation. She felt the small brush of wind behind her and turned, shooting at him. The bullet was a centimeter away from his face, before he once again disappeared. The flames began to crawl up her arms and she moved faster now, and began to sense Crowley's movements.

He appeared in front of her, grinning all the while as the two engaged in a battle. He unsheathed his sword and held it up, using it to block the bullets. He swept the sword out at Emiko and she caught it between the guns, glaring hatefully at him. She flipped over the weapons, effectively pulling his sword out of his grasp and sending it flying across the room and clattering into the wall. He didn't seem the least bit concerned however, and merely laughed.

She moved to shoot at him again but she was caught off guard when his fist connected with her stomach, sending her staggering backwards. She nearly dropped one of her guns-nearly. He took advantage of her stumble and grabbed her by the throat and pulled her towards him, keeping her trapped against him. He used his other hand to grab hold of both of her wrists and held them together tightly, forcing her to drop her guns. She breathed heavily, heart pounding against her chest at the adrenaline rushing through her veins.

"You're good," He told her. "You're not great. Not good enough to beat a noble. At least not while you have control of yourself." He let her go and she pushed away from him and grabbed her guns off the floor. Emiko turned to face him. Her expression was unreadable.

"What does it matter?" She asked finally, a tinge of anger still in her voice.

"The Queen wants you safe. She also wants a weapon. Unfortunately, you're not much of a weapon in this state, and you have no control of the other side. Horn, add to the report that I will be training the human in combat." Crowley called and then turned to leave.

"My name is Emiko." Emiko called out, stopping him. He turned, the two getting caught in a deadlock. "I don't define all vampires by their species, but by who they are as a person. I ask you to the do the same for me."

His only response was a mocking smile.

LINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINE

Training was torture. Crowley was a ruthless teacher when it came to combat, as Emiko was now learning. Only hours after their fight did Chess stroll into her room and hand her a new 'schedule'. This was really just her weekly line up of all things combat training.

On Monday's it was all about swordplay. Tuesdays, hand to hand. Wednesdays, Archery. Thursdays, stamina. Friday's, strength. Of course, through the entire week she also had a workout regime she was told to stick to. She also practiced with her guns and whip. Add in sleep and eating, and Emiko didn't have much time for anything.

She did somehow find time to practice her musical abilities. Playing musical instruments seemed to help her remember her earlier life. She remembered a large, white house with dusty blue shutters. A dark wood front door, a large front yawn littered with toys. She remembered a large room that mainly consisted of the color pink. An elderly man dressed in a formal suit and smiling kindly at her. She remembered fancy clothes and laughing. She also remembered plenty of time practicing musical instruments. She even remembered hearing her mother (or so she assumed) bragging to a friend of hers about how she was some kind of musical prodigy. Emiko didn't know if she would call herself that, but she did very much enjoy playing instruments and making music. She loved the harp the most. Something about it was so calm and tranquil. It immediately made her feel peaceful. She had just finished a song she remembered from her childhood when there was a knock outside the open door.

She stopped immediately. She looked up, finding Crowley watching. He smiled at her, but she couldn't read what kind of emotion was behind it. Perhaps the song had affected her more than she thought. He walked into the room, surveying it. "Glad someone is getting some use out of this room. It's just been gathering dust for quite some time now." He observed. She eyed him carefully. She was still angry with him from practice earlier; he'd 'accidentally' punched her chin. He'd apologized, whilst laughing, saying he hadn't been paying enough attention. Either way, it made her angry. If he wasn't paying enough attention, it meant he didn't even find her a worthy enough opponent to give her his full attention to. If he's lying, he hit her on purpose, just to be a jackass. Both were probable. She couldn't decide which option she hated more.

"How's the chin?" He asked, a bit of mockery leaking into his chin. She sent him a dirty look, rubbing her sore chin. The bruise was already forming, and she was going to be walking around the house with a purple splotch on her chin for at least a two days now, despite how fast she heals.

"Be honest. Did you hit me on purpose?" She asked, giving him a scrutinizing look. He merely laughed and took a seat next to her.

"You play well." He complimented, motioning to the harp. "How long have you played?" He asked. Emiko allowed him to change the subject, and shrugged, chewing her lip in thought.

"Since I was a child. Before I was seven at least, obviously." She murmured, deep in thought. She didn't notice at the time, but his face became contemplative at thought, and he gave her a sidelong glance.

"What's so significant about it being before you were seven?" He asked. She startled, giving him a curious look. She hadn't even realized she'd given that away. She fidgeted slightly, clearly uncomfortable with the conversation. And she was. The age seven was significant for her, and not for a good reason. It was a changing point in her life.

"I don't-" She started, but he interrupted.

"If you don't want to tell me, I'll simply let the queen know you're withholding information and you can tell her. I'm sure she'll be pleased." He said confidently. She gave him another dirty look, one he returned with a wink and a smirk. She fidgeted again, knowing she had no choice. She sighed.

"That was the age when...my parents were murdered by a vampire." He froze at that, his eyes darkening in seriousness.

"The Virus didn't break out until you were nine, correct?" He inquired, though he already knew the answer. She nodded.

"Yes, but I knew about vampires before then because of my parents death." She replied quietly. He gave her another long, sidelong glance.

"Explain," He prompted. She opened her mouth to object, but he cut her off once more. "If you'd rather talk to Krul…" He trailed off.

"You're cruel," She murmured, but her shoulders were sagging in defeat. She refused to look at him as she spoke. "As I said before, I was seven at the time. From what I can gather, my family was very well off, and our house was well protected, so I don't really understand how it got in without at least triggering an alarm or alerting someone, but it did. My parents and I were in the music room at the time. Funny, I was playing the harp then too. I had just started a new song when he walked in, as if he was supposed to be there. So, I treated him as if he were. I greeted him politely, but knew something was wrong when my parents reacted in shock and fear. They bolted out of their chairs, my mother hiding me behind her, and my father hiding us behind him. He only laughed though, something maniacal and twisted. He walked calmly to my father, confidently. My father yelled and threatened him, but he didn't stop until he stood directly in front of him. He grabbed him and he bit into his neck, sharply, roughly. Blood splattered, hitting my mother and the walls and floors. My mother screamed, but I couldn't make a sound.

It only took him a minute to drop my father's lifeless body to the ground. He wasn't satisfied though! He turned to my mother, he grabbed her, and he bit into her neck too. This time, the blood splattered onto me. I was wearing a pretty pink dress that day with satin white flowers on it. It was one of my favorites, and it was forever stained with my mother's blood. It took him a lot longer to kill my mother. By that point, I realized that I was going to die, if I didn't do something. I didn't know what a vampire was then, but I'd seen enough action movies to know that slitting a throat usually got the job done. I didn't have a knife, but there was a letter opener on the coffee table. My father had been reading mail while he was listening to me play the harp. He was distracted, and he probably didn't even expect me to try to run, being too terrified. I grabbed the letter opener with shaking hands, I thought for sure I was going to end up hurting myself. I turned to him. He was so much taller than I was, but he had made himself shorter by leaning over my mother.

I knew he could hear me moving at that point, but he still didn't seem to think I was a threat to him, so he didn't even look at me. His mistake. I crawled between the small space separating him and my mother. He didn't see the letter opener until it was too late. I slashed at his throat. Blood went spraying everywhere, and I was quickly covered in it. I choked on it, and gagged. He gagged too, and coughed, and sputtered. But I could see it-the skin was mending itself. I was panicking then, if he lived I would die, I knew that. I couldn't let it happen. I didn't slash at his throat the next time-I hacked at it, like a butcher does a piece of meat. I was so weak, a frail child. It took me so many tries, but his head finally separated from his body. The skin stopped trying to mend itself after that. I dropped the letter opener. It slipped right through my fingers, they were coated with so much blood. I started crying then. I turned to my mother, begging for her help. She wouldn't respond though! She just stared at the ceiling, ignoring me! I was so angry with her, couldn't she see I needed her help! Father wouldn't respond either. They weren't sleeping, that much I could grasp. Not even their funeral convinced me they were dead though. And his face...that vampires face...it's the first thing I remembered-"

"Emiko!" Crowley shouted, and the glazed look covering her face suddenly shattered, and Emiko looked up at Crowley with a mixture of morbid fear and uncertainty. She'd become lost in her memory. He grabbed her arm roughly, and it was then Emiko felt the pain. She winced and looked down. One arm had deep cuts, four of them, the size of her fingernails. They leaked blood all over her arm and down onto the carpet. The nails on her other arm were caked in blood. She looked down at her arm and then at Crowley in shocked fear. He stared back with an expression she couldn't discern in her panic. She was shaking violently, her arms desperate to close in and hug themselves. He kept them separated though, each hand holding one arm away from the other tightly.

"That's enough," He said quietly. Emiko understood him, but she couldn't respond. He sighed and stood up, moving her with him. She managed to stand on her own two feet, though her legs shook horribly. "I will have Chess and Horn help you clean up and change." He said calmly, leading her out of the room at a slow, but steady pace. She didn't object, and merely let him lead her down several different hallways until stopping in front of her room. He sat her down on her bed, and warned her to stay there and not move until Chess and Horn arrived. She did just that.

LINELINELINELINELINELINELINE

 **Well...as I said, things got dark. Fast. They will continue to get darker.**

 **I have to apologize for my absence, but it is not without reason. In the beginning of November, I was admitted to a Psychiatric hospital. No, I am not crazy. But yes, I do have depression, anxiety, and OCD, as well as some suicidal thoughts. So, I've been in and out of the hospital for quite some time because of my mental issues.**

 **That being said, this story is a bit triggering for me. It's not forgotten or put on hold, but it will take me longer to write. My health comes first. Luckily, I already had this chapter written, I just didn't have the time to post it until now. The next chapter shouldn't be quite as dark as this one, so it should be easier to write.**

 **Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!**


	5. Chapter 5

Either Chess or Horn were with Emiko twenty-four/seven. After what had happened four days ago, she couldn't say she blamed them. Emi herself was frightened by her own actions. Getting lost in her own memories like that...she had never done that before. Never injured herself like that. Well, as far as she knew. Her memories were still extremely hazy, and some years of her life still completely blank. She honestly didn't know what she did, or who she was. It was unnerving, to not know who you are.

Emiko managed to push it to the side for now though, as Ferid had requested to have tea with her. Chess and Horn had fussed over what she should wear for nearly two hours. Emiko didn't think it was a big deal, but she knew that fashion was always important anyway.

Besides, she didn't particularly mind the fancy dresses and nice silks. Hey, she may be kickass, but she was also a girly girl, and that was something she took pride in. She ended up wearing a light purple skirt and white blouse, with a short, pastel kimono over it. She skipped into the day room where Ferid waited.

"Ferid!" Emi called, and raced over to perform her usual greeting; a hug and kiss on the cheek. In all honesty, Emiko found the whole ritual tedious, but she figured Ferid would notice if she acted out of character. They sat down, and one of the maids brought by the platter of tea and cakes. Emiko immediately dug in.

"How has Crowley treated you?" Ferid asked. He hadn't touched the tea in front of him, and it was getting cool. Emiko shrugged, finishing off another mini cake. She'd already had three.

"He's a jerk," Emi pouted, huffing in annoyance. Ferid laughed.

"I heard from Krul he's a bit tough on you." He said, eyes sparkling with mirth. Emiko scoffed, and grabbed another cake. This one was strawberry, with vanilla frosting. She immediately plopped it into her mouth.

"I train constantly!" Emiko exaggerated, and swallowed the last bit of cake in her mouth. "He's even making me learn how to use a bow, which is ridiculous because I have Mirai!" She ranted.

"What if you face an enemy who uses a bow? What will you do then?" Emiko winced at his voice. She turned to glare at Crowley. He stood in the doorway, smirking at her in amusement. She rolled her eyes when he approached. "Lord Ferid," Crowley greeted cordially. Ferid smiled, and nodded his head at Crowley. "How is your company?" Crowley asked. Ferid chuckled.

"Entertaining, as always." He replied playfully. Emiko sneakily reached for another cake, but Crowley was quicker, and he slapped her hand away.

"I saw you inhale five of those. They're going to make you sick." Emiko ignored Crowley's playful warning, and grabbed another cake.

"When I was little, I ate play doh like it was candy. Don't worry, I can stomach six delicious cakes." Emi scoffed through the mouthful. "What are you doing here?" She asked Crowley.

"Well I heard the two most interesting people I know were having tea, I couldn't deny myself the entertainment." He replied. Emi snorted.

"Yeah, right." She gave him a disbelieving glance. "You're just here for the cakes. I'm warning you, the strawberry ones are mine." Emiko threatened. Crowley eyed her with amusement, but he quickly turned his attention to Ferid.

"I assume you've heard from our queen about the human's first mission?" Crowley asked lightly. Emiko frowned; he always referred to her as 'the human'. She looked between the two of them.

"Mission?" She asked. Ferid chuckled, eyes gleaming as he observed Emiko.

"Yes, the queen has issued a mission for you, dear Emiko. Have you not been informed yet?" He asked. Emiko shook her head, and looked to Crowley.

"No, I haven't." She grumbled in annoyance.

"Ah, you see, this is the real reason I interrupted your tea. The queen would like Emiko to leave as soon as possible." Crowley said apologetically. Emiko didn't think he was sorry at all. Emiko sighed and stood.

"Duty calls." She said dramatically, and then grinned at Ferid. "Don't forget me while I'm gone." Emiko sighed dramatically. Ferid chuckled.

"Not for a moment," He promised, amusement shining in his eyes. Emiko allowed Crowley to escort her out of the the day room, where he then began to inform her of her mission

"You will be heading to Shinjuku. We have discovered one of the hidden bases where vampires are being experimented on. Your mission is to get into the base and free every vampire held there." He briefed me.

"How will I sneak in?" She asked in confusion.

"The Queen has a theory; she believes that your disappearance is not widespread beyond the Moon Demon Company and the higher ups. Normally, lower level Vampire Extermination unit members guard the base, from our intel. They will be unaware of your desertion. However, it won't take long for someone to recognize something suspicious. Get in, free the vampires, and get out. Do whatever needs to be done to complete the mission." He ordered. Emiko nodded. Normally, she would've objected to the orders, but since it was coming from Krul, she had no questions. She trusted Krul.

Crowley dropped her off at her room, and Emiko changed out of the girly clothing into her uniform. She pulled the I.D. badge out of her pocket, and looked it over. She felt a bit strange, pretending to be a girl she had no memories of. Sure, that girl was her, but she felt foreign to Emiko somehow. Strange, different, even otherworldly. How should she act? Should she be herself, or should she act stiff and stuck up? She didn't have any idea.

After getting dressed, Emiko pulled her hair up into a high ponytail and headed to the armory to grab her weapons. She placed each gun on the thigh holsters on each leg. She also placed her whip on her right hip. She was ready.

Lacus and Rene were the ones to escort her to the edge of Shinjuku. The city sent a wave of nostalgia through her, but she ignored it. At their parting point, Rene handed Emi a listening device, that would keep her in contact with Crowley. She also got a mic that would set on her neck, just below her mouth.

"Can you hear me?" She tested the device.

"Mic is working," Crowley responded. Emi nodded to herself, suddenly feeling nervous as she walked down the deserted streets of Shinjuku. This was her first mission, and she didn't want to disappoint Krul. Emi looked up to her; she wanted to make her proud. Emiko also wanted to prove herself to Crowley and Ferid and all the other vampires that doubted her. She was an asset to them, and meant to be respected and acknowledged; eve if she was a human.

"Approaching base." Emi informed Crowley quietly. With a breath of air, Emiko walked into the base. She hurried down the steps to the basement, where they were holding the vampires. Two Soldiers stood at the gates. They couldn't have looked more bored if they were watching paint dry. They immediately stood up straight when they noticed Emiko.

"C-c-captain!" One of them stuttered out nervously. His eyes darted around the room, as if nervous Emiko was going to chew him out for being bored.

"W-what brings you down here? We haven't seen you in weeks!" The other replied. Emiko shrugged.

"I've been held up for quite some time." Emiko responded coolly. "High levels of vampire activity in Akihabara." That wasn't a lie. Crowley had informed Emiko prior to this mission of the assaults small groups of rogue vampires had been attacking the district.

"Of course," They responded together. "Please, is there anything you need of us?" They asked. Emiko pointed towards the gate.

"If I could just get in, that'd be all." She replied. They looked at each other with confusion.

"Why don't you just use your key?" The one to the right asked. Emiko panicked for a split second, before reacting.

"I lost it in Akihabara." She lied calmly. That seemed to be enough for them. The one to the left approached the gate used the key to open it. It was an intricate system. There were more than just keys needed, but passcodes and a thumb print. When it came to the thumb print, they looked at her expectantly. It was then Emiko realized that only high ranking members of the army had true access to this place. Nervously, Emiko approached the machine and placed her thumb on the scanner. It beeped for a moment, and then the heavy gates opened. Emiko walked inside. She stood in a long, dark hallway. It was extremely quiet, and put Emiko's nerves on edge. Once she took several steps further inside, she contacted Crowley.

"I had to give my thumb print to get inside." Emiko whispered. "It's probable it was brought up in the main frame system and the higher ups have been alerted to my presence." She informed him.

"Be quick." He ordered. "Free as many vampires as you can and then get out." Emiko nodded and walked at a brisk pace down the hallway. At the end of the hallway, it broke off into three corridors. Emiko took the one to the left. At the end of the hall, there was another gate. She pressed her thumb against the scanner, and the gate opened. Prison cell upon prison cell lined the walls on either side. Vampires sat inside each cell. Some were passed out, and looked near dead. Others banged on the glass the second they saw her. Emiko walked to the closest cell on the left. Inside was a small vampire woman, who glared at her hatefully when she approached. Emiko said nothing to her, but pressed her thumb against the scanner. The scanner beeped red. Emiko jumped as sirens started blaring through the halls.

"Shit," Emiko muttered.

"What happened?" Crowley asked over the earphone.

"I don't have access to the prison cells. The alarms have gone off." She informed him, watching the gate unsurely.

"What kind of cells are they held in?" He asked.

"I'm not sure, but it looks to be like some reinforced plexiglass." She answered, scanning the room for any other way to free them.

"Use your curse, full power." Crowley instructed. "It should be able to break the glass." Emiko pulled out both her guns, and immediately activated her curse. Black lines and symbols crawled up Emi's face, as the shadowy mist started to crawl through the halls. Little by little, every single prison wall started to crack and break. Finally, the vampires strong us to move, hit the glass and broke free from their prisons. The ones that couldn't, were freed shortly thereafter due to the curse. Emiko pulled the pack off of her back and opened it. Inside were dozens of blood bags. She tossed them towards the vampires. They eyed them suspiciously. Some looked ready to attack her.

"I work for the queen," Emiko informed them. "I have been sent to free you. If you are powerful enough to move on your own, save the blood for those incapable of doing so. Once we return to Sanguinem you will be given as much blood as required to heal properly." She explained. They were still wary. However, one of the weaker vampires limped towards the bag and grabbed one of the blood bags. It immediately tore into the bag. That was when all hell broke loose. Vampires barrelled over each other to grab the blood bags, desperate for the lifesource they had been deprived of. Many started to move towards the exit.

"Why is a human working for our queen?" A short, petite vampire girl asked suspiciously. Emi smiled.

"Because she saved me." Emi answered shortly. "We don't have much time, I triggered the alarms trying to free you all. Do you know where the exit is?" I asked them. Many didn't, but a few had memorized the compound. "Lead everyone out. I have to free as many of you as I can. I won't get another chance to do this." Then, Emiko took off down the hall. She ran into several soldiers, but she dispatched them easily, and continued on. On the far right there was another line of cells. Emiko also used her curse to free the vampire inside of those cells as well. Unfortunately, she didn't have any blood bags to give them. She told them the same thing she told the others, but many were feral due to the lack of nourishment. Many tried to attack her, and she had to kill those who did. Luckily, her dark side didn't appear.

"Get out, Welt and Simm have sighted vehicles full of soldiers approaching the compound." Crowley informed her through the earpiece. Emiko didn't need to be told twice; she ran down the halls of the compound, red lights blaring annoyingly. The sound of guns firing could be heard. An officer of the Moon demon company raced down the hall towards Emiko. She cursed under her breath.

"Stop, traitor!" The officer yelled. Emiko rolled her eyes. What a cliche line to use. She pulled out her whip, and lashed out, wrapping the whip around his arm. The spikes dug into his skin, and he dropped his sword, crying out in pain. She tugged on the whip and he catapulted towards her, landing face first on the hard concrete ground in front of her. She placed her foot on his chest and met his gaze.

"What's your rank?" She asked coolly. He gulped.

"C-corporal." He stumbled out fearfully. Emiko sighed; she needed the badge of a high ranking officer to take back with her. After today, they would definitely expel her thumb print from the system. She knocked him out and then continued down the halls.

Emiko turned a corner, and gunshots fired instantly. She cursed and jumped back behind the wall, but not before a bullet nicks the top of her shoulder. She yelped and grit her teeth in pain, but she didn't have time to worry about it right now. The bullets stopped flying, so Emiko looked down the hall. Two men were running down the hallway towards her. One of them sparked familiarity inside of Emiko, but she didn't pay it any mind. Whoever he was, he was pointing a gun at her.

She pulled out Mirai and pointed it at the two men, firing. They both dodged expertly, and sent shots of their own at Emiko. She back flipped and dodged, narrowly avoiding more hits. Emiko shot again, this time hitting the dark haired one in the hip. He yelled and fell back, gripping at the wound. The white-haired one didn't even flinch at the injury his comrade sustained, and continued towards Emiko without hesitation. He shot at Emiko, and she dodged once more and ran towards him, setting Mirai back in her thigh holster and instead grabbing her whip. She lashed it at him, and it grabbed his wrist. She pulled on the whip. He dropped his weapon, but he remained standing. He struggled against the whip, and then turned to glare at her. His glare softened immediately.

"Emi!" He said startlement. Emi observed him coolly. So, she did know him.

"Who are you?" She asked calmly. His eyes went wide and he stared at her in shock.

"You don't...remember?" He asked. She didn't respond, only glared at him suspiciously. This could be a trick. She pointed her gun at him. If possible, his eyes went wider.

"Emi, what are you...we're like family!" He called, and that caused Emiko to pause.

"Family?" She murmured. He nodded.

"I'm Shinya, remember? I've known you since you were nine years old." Emiko faltered, her grip on the whip loosening. His wrist escaped the whip and he took a cautious step towards her. "Whenever you were upset, I'd read you stories. Don't you remember? You loved stories of heroes and princesses." He continued. Emiko's hands started to shake.

"I-I...I don't…" She trailed off unsurely.

"Emiko, get out of there!" Crowley ordered over the earpiece. Emiko ignored him.

"We didn't know what happened to you. Guren wouldn't give me details. He said...he said you went crazy and started attacking people, and he had to fight you. He said he was sure you had died. He was so...angry at himself. So hurt. He'll be so happy to know you're alive-"

A bullet pierced through Emiko's ribs, right below her heart. She fell back, and screamed in a mix of shock and pain. "No! Emiko! Katsumi, what were you thinking? Emiko!" Shinya yelled, running to approach Emiko.

He didn't notice the red eyes and white hair.

He leaned over her body, and she grabbed him by the throat. His eyes went wide and he choked as she held onto his throat. She sat up, ignoring the blood pooling out of her chest. She looked at him with no emotion in her cold, red eyes. She studied him, carefully. "Shinya," She murmured, but her voice was different, colder. Darker. "I wasn't sure we'd ever come across you again." She let go of his throat and stood up gracefully. Her eyes were surveying the situation. They landed on the injured Katsumi. She approached him.

"You," She said coldly. "You shot at me. Look at what you've done." She said, motioning to the mess the blood was making of her uniform. "That's twice now a member of the Japanese imperial army has almost killed this body."

"Emiko…" Shinya yelled from behind her, voice pleading and desperate. She didn't look back at him. She grabbed the gun from her holster and shot at Katsumi. Her aim was impeccable, as always. She turned her attention to Shinya. She kneeled down next to him. He had been trying to reach his gun, but she kicked it away.

"Oh Shinya…" She trailed off in a sigh. She placed a cold hand on his cheek, eyes trailing over his face. "You were always so kind, so caring. You looked out for us. I can't imagine how painful it must have been, to hear we were dead. Or how surprised you must feel now to see us alive and well." She murmured. Her hand lightly caressed his face, gentle, but there was something sinister about the way she looked at him, the coldness of her eyes. "Despite this, I'm letting you live for one reason only. Send my regards to Guren. Let him know that he will pay for what he's done to me."

 **Alright, that was a thing! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, it's one of my favorites! I've been waiting for this chapter! A lot has been revealed, and some of you may very well be catching on to what is going on now.**

 **I wanted to thank all of you who sent me messages and encouragement! You have no idea how much it means to me to have your support and understanding. Because of you, I've managed to get this chapter out and continued to feel so supported! I hope to get another chapter of Two Souls out soon as a New Years present, and as a thank you present! Thank you guys so much!**


	6. Chapter 6

Emiko knocked Shinya out after giving him her message, and continued down the halls of the compound, calmly and silently. When anyone showed up, she didn't hesitate to put a bullet through them, whether they recognized her or not. During all of it, the white hair and red eyes never faded. Crowley had been curiously quiet, but Emiko had a good guess as to why. He was gaining intel on this other side of her. Not that she minded. No matter what sort of information he gained on this side of her, nothing would be changed. Nothing could be changed, she thought bitterly. They had made sure of that.

Once outside the compound, Emiko faced seven vehicles full of soldiers, all shooting at her. Amazingly enough, none of the bullets hit her. They bounced off an invisible barrier only inches in front of her, and went spiraling back towards them. Emiko paid them no heed, and merely continued her walk.

"Stop! Emiko Matsuri, you are under arrest by the Imperial demon army for absence without leave, abandonment, destruction of property, murder, and release of hostile captives-" Emiko turned her narrowed, red eyes at the man. He stopped immediately, and gulped down his breath in fear. Darkness started to pool at Emiko's feet, in a fog that started to reach out past her and towards the vehicles. Anything the darkness touched started to bend and break, when the fog covered half of one of the cars, the car exploded.

It didn't take long for the rest of the vehicles to drive away. Emiko continued on her walk down the abandoned streets. Her walk was slow but confident, and not even a horsemen of the Apocalypse would dare challenge her. The aura she emanated was so strong, and so dark, that any life that it touched crippled and died.

"Crowley?" Her voice was cold as she addressed the noble vampire, who had been quiet during this entire venture. He was silent for several more seconds before he responded.

"Yes?" He asked. His voice had no emotion; it was completely serious. Emiko pressed a hand to the wound the bullet had made. Blood had covered her entire uniform, staining it a dark crimson color. When she pressed her fingers against the wound, blood spurted out.

"I believe I was shot with a demon weapon. My body is not healing. I've kept us alive for now, but my power will only sustain us for so long. I suggest you send Welt and Simm to retrieve me before I die." Her voice would've sent a shiver down Krul's spine, it was so cold and voidless. It was almost as if she didn't care if she lived or died.

"Where are you?" He asked. Emiko gave him the coordinates, but it was soon after her vision started to get fuzzy. She was going to pass out. She swayed side to side in place, trying, but failing to keep her legs working. She fell to the ground roughly. The world around her swirled into blobs of color, and the red finally started to fade from her eyes.

"Crowley," Emiko muttered sleepily. Her voice was her own again, but weak and fragile. "I think I know...what's wrong with me…" She trailed off. She was trying to keep herself awake, but darkness blurred her vision, and it was so inviting. She thought she heard Crowley say something, but she faded into oblivion.

She woke up in a hospital bed. Her vision was blurry at first as she observed the white room. Finally it cleared, and she got a good look at where she was. She was in a closed off hospital room, probably in Sanguinem. The walls and floors were all white, not even a painting to liven the room up. She was hooked up to an I.V., and it was currently pumping blood into her body. She licked her lips, and found her tongue to be incredibly dry. She needed water.

"How are you feeling?" Emiko's head shot to the right side of the room. Krul sat regally in a plain black chair, looking as elegant and pristine as usual. She watched Emiko with a mix of curiosity and concern. Emiko moved to sit up, but found her ribs screamed in protest.

"What happened?" Emiko croaked out. Krul stood, and approached the side of Emiko's bed.

"On your mission to the prison base in Shinjuku, you were shot, just below your heart. It broke one of your ribs and caused internal bleeding. It also nicked a lung, but fortunately didn't break all the way through. You lost a lot of blood." She informed the groggy Emiko. Emiko nodded, attempting to process all of that information. It was slowly coming back to her.

"How long have I been asleep?" She asked unsurely.

"About two days. You've healed remarkably well in that span of time, for your injuries. Unfortunately you were hit by a cursed weapon, and your accelerated healing was slowed. Once we removed the bullet however, your healing started to speed up again. Your rib is still bruised, but no longer broken, and we've been slowly pumping blood back into your body so as not to shock your system." She explained. Emiko nodded, but said no more. Krul was quiet as well, but then sat down on the edge of her bed, and observed Emiko closely.

"Before you passed out, you told Crowley something interesting. Do you remember what you said?" Krul asked slowly. It took Emiko a while to respond, but finally she nodded in the affirmative. "What was it?" She continued. Emiko motioned towards the desk beside her, where a glass of water sat. Krul picked it up and handed it to her. Emiko drank greedily, her throat and tongue both dry from dehydration.

"I told him...that I knew what was wrong with me…" Emiko trailed off unsurely. She wasn't quite sure how she felt about this information. Still, she continued anyway. "I don't know how we got this way, but I'm sure of it now. The demon that was once inside of my cursed gear, she's inside me now. She's mostly dormant, but she comes out when there's trouble. She protects me, because if I die, then she dies." Emiko murmured. Krul was quiet for a long time. Then, she sighed.

"I was worried that was what happened. So, you have a demon inside of you." Krul said, mostly talking to herself now. "A powerful one at that." Against her better judgement, Emiko's eyes started to well with tears. She didn't want to have a demon lurking somewhere inside of her. She'd felt her evil, and it was terrifying. She remembered, too, the lives she had taken while in control. Emiko was frightened; she was frightened of the thing inside of her.

"Stop crying," Krul ordered harshly. Startled, Emiko stopped, and looked up at her. Krul's eyes were hard. "You cannot cry. Not here." Krul warned Emiko. She climbed closer to Emiko, until she was a foot in front of her. "Many vampires respect you, even if they don't want to admit it. Even Ferid and Crowley have a small amount of respect for you. If they see you cry, they'll lose that respect. Realize now; your survival does not depend on me, it depends on you. If they see you cry, they'll think you're like every other human. They'll treat you like livestock." She said coldly. Emiko quickly dried her tears and nodded. Krul's eyes softened. "Don't worry. You're not the first person I've met with two souls inside one body. You can control her, with time. For now, the pills work just fine." Krul stood, and moved towards the door. She paused halfway outside of it. "You've done well, so far. As soon as you've finished healing, you'll return to Crowley's manor." Then, she left.

Emiko healed quickly, as was expected. It was only a few days later when she returned to Crowley's manor. She was given several more days to rest before she had to return to training however. She spent that time mostly in the music room, but also sewing. Both things calmed her down. She was still confused as to how to feel about the whole, demon inside her body thing.

It had made her unusually quiet. Not that any of the staff minded, she hadn't pulled a prank on them since she'd returned. It was strange to the Progenitors though. It was like she had defaulted back to who she was when she first woke up on the destroyed streets of Shinjuku for the first time.

Emiko thrummed her fingers against the violin expertly. She had retreated to the back gardens, in the gazebo. Inside, Horn or Chess was always checking up on her. As much as she enjoyed their company, Emiko wanted to be alone. She had so much to think about and understand, she just needed some isolation.

Unfortunately, Crowley didn't seem to agree. He approached the gazebo in sturdy, long steps. He stood at the entrance, but didn't say anything. Emiko decided to ignore him, and continue playing.

Once the song was finished she paused for a moment, attempting to think of another song to play. It was then Crowley spoke. "It's a beautiful melody." He said softly. He took a step into the pavilion. "What is it called?" He asked. Emiko thought about not responding, but decided it was in her best interest to stay on his good side.

"It's called Tsukiyo no Violinist." She answered quietly. She glanced at him. "Is there something you wanted?" She asked.

"What is it you were going to tell me, before you fainted?" He asked bluntly. Emiko and Krul had discussed it, and decided that no one else needed to know about the demon living inside of her.

"I don't remember." She murmured, and then began to play again. This song was soft and sad, and instantly made Emiko's mood darken further. However, she couldn't find it in herself to play something happy.

"Then, please share where this change of attitude has come from." He interrupted. Emiko stopped playing and turned to stare at him.

"What does it matter to you?" She asked, almost rudely. "Do me a favor, and stop treating me like entertainment." She snapped. She moved to storm past him, but he grabbed hold of her wrist. Emiko reacted without thinking, and turned and lashed out, slapping him. It shocked both of them into silence. How had Emiko managed to actually hit him? She'd never managed that before, even when nearly taken over by the demon. She certainly wasn't being controlled by the demon now either, so how had she hit him? Emiko didn't let her thoughts derail her. She glared up at him viciously.

"I'm not a toy!" She shouted angrily. She was clutching the violin so tightly in her fist, that the neck snapped in half. She didn't pay it any mind, and merely clenched her fists harder. "For you, for Krul, for anyone! I'm a person! Maybe I'm a human, and maybe you consider me livestock, but that doesn't mean that I don't have feelings! That I don't think and hurt and desire things just as much as any vampire! And tell me, you were human once, right? Can you honestly say that you experienced emotion and pain any differently as a vampire then you did as a human?" She ranted, but she wasn't done yet. She was breathing heavy now, and she couldn't read the expression on Crowley's face. "You can say whatever you like about humans, but you can't avoid the truth that you were one once! Immortality isn't a free for all pass into treating human beings like shit! It doesn't give you a right to use me! I am more than a blood bag or a fighting machine!" Emiko didn't stop to see his response. She turned and ran.

She was out in the gazebo again. It had become a bit of a safe haven for her. Instead of a violin, she had the flute this time. She played a soft harmony, one that was both a bit sad and enchanting at the same time. It was her last day before she was being forced to return to training. She wasn't excited.

It was beginning to get dark out. The lights around Sanguinem were beginning to was the only hint she was ever given that it was night out. She didn't mind though; the night sky had become something of a painful reminder of the darkness lurking inside of her. A darkness she could only barely control.

Emiko sighed, and decided to head back inside. She moved through the gardens swiftly, but paused every few moments. The flowers in the garden were the kind that could only grow without sunlight. Or well, little light. Sanguinem had some special lighting that could help flowers grow, but not enough for most of them. That was why there were so few gardens in Sanguinem; so little could prosper here. It was also one of the reasons Emiko loved the garden. It may not have any flowers she recognized, but they were beautiful all the same.

However, there was one flower she saw that caught her attention. She recognized it. It was absurd, but Emiko found herself feeling excited. She smiled brightly at the flower, and plucked it from the ground. She stared at the little white dandelion clocks sprouted all around the flower. She loved wishing on them as a kid. Nostalgia made her do so again. She closed her eyes, wishing hard for something, and then blew on the dandelion. The seed heads scattered across the rest of the flowerbed. She was a bit sad to see the flower gone, but knew that by this time next year, she'd be seeing plenty more of them. She turned to head back inside, but came to a stop when she saw Crowley. He was watching from a few feet back, regarding her with a playful smirk.

"What?" She asked, finding herself slowly starting to smile. Despite her suspicion, the flower had made her far too happy.

"I thought only little kids made wishes on dandelions." He was teasing her. However, Emiko couldn't find any venom in his voice. She smiled a little brighter and shrugged.

"Sometimes it's good to be childish. Children always have the most fun, and for so few of reasons. I think the older we get the less fun we have. As children, happiness was always something we could create without a problem. Sure, children often whined and complained and cried, but it didn't take them long to find something to make them happy. When you get older, you find more reasons to be unhappy. You search for reasons to be happy, but don't realize that often times, you make your own happiness. That's why I wish I could go back to being a little kid. It's why I do childish things sometimes too. Being happy...it's so much easier to create when you take joy in the little things." Emiko honestly had no idea why she was being so open and honest with Crowley about her thoughts. Perhaps, she just wanted someone to hear them. She'd never actually told anyone her philosophy on happiness before. It felt good to share, even if it was with a bloodsucking vampire she despised. She half expected Crowley to make fun of her, but he didn't. He regarded her with curious eyes. This curiosity was different from before, she realized. This was a playful curiosity, one without ambition or ill-intent.

"What makes you happy?" She didn't know why she asked. The question popped out before she could stop it. His curious look only deepened, and became mixed with amusement and newly, a bit of surprise. She'd never surprised him before. It was a welcome development.

"I suppose...combat. I enjoy a good fight." He answered, but he seemed to be lost in thought. He was taking her question seriously, for a change. Emiko smiled slightly.

"Doesn't anything else make you happy? What did you like when you were human?" She asked curiously. Once again, he seemed slightly surprised by the questions, but he covered it up well. He laughed and shrugged.

"As a human, I also enjoyed fighting." He said, glancing down at her in amusement. "Though, I suppose I also enjoyed sport. Competition, weaponry, I was in the army." he answered. That didn't surprise Emiko. When she imagined him as a human, she always imagined him as a soldier.

"I enjoy music." Emiko answered aloud. "Of course, you already knew that. I like sewing and fashion and, I suppose I like fighting too, especially winning. I think I enjoy pranking people most though." Her eyes lit up with mirth as she thought back on her last prank. They were walking now, side by side towards the mansion. Emiko hadn't seemed to notice, but Crowley certainly had. He watched Emiko with amusement and curiosity-which wasn't anything strange. There was something different though, something rare. Emiko couldn't place it.

"It's been awhile since you've pulled any pranks. The staff are getting comfortable." Crowley hinted. Mischief sparkled in Emiko's deep blue orbs. She hummed to herself, deep in thought, and then looked up at Crowley.

"Well, I suppose it's time I put them back on their toes." Then, without another word, she skipped back inside. Crowley shook his head, and chuckled. What an odd one she was. She went from dark depression to happy go-lucky in mere days. He imagined it gave her human friends whiplash. He found it amusing though. She was so unpredictable, and so entertaining. He found himself seeking out her company just for the amusement she brought. It had been dull when she was pouting; he was glad her happy exterior was back. Still, he had to wonder what had brought about this bout of darkness. The day she had snapped at him, he had gotten a clue as to what it was. The Queen was treating her like a pawn. Nothing different, but Emiko didn't know that. She must also be on edge constantly, living with vampires. She hid it well, but he caught it every so often. The hunch of her shoulders, or the wary glances she would send at Crowley and the guards alike. She didn't trust anyone here, even if she acted like she did.

There was also the matter of her blood. The hunger spiked inside of him the second he thought of it. He had yet to taste her, but she smelled so sweet. It had been a long time since he smelled anything so delicious. A thousand years old, and yet he often had to avoid her on the days he'd gone without blood. That was the power of her blood's allure. Despite that, he had to be cautious. Despite the tricks and manipulation the queen may pull, he suspected that she actually did care for the girl. If Crowley bit Emiko, the queen may retaliate in anger. That was a headache he did not need.

Emiko dodged a punch to the chin, and swept her leg out, effectively hitting Lacus in the stomach. He reached out to grab hold of her and she evaded his arms, and placed a well maneuvered punch into his cheek. He delivered a kick to Emiko's stomach, and she grunted and stumbled back several steps. Lacus took that chance to swipe out at her, his nails raking against her cheek. Blood splashed out, but Emiko ignored it. She jumped back from another punch, and barreled into him, effectively knocking him to the ground. She straddled him, and quickly pulled her gun out. He turned the tables, flipped her over, but it was too late. Her gun was pointed at his head.

Lacus jumped off of her. He scowled at Emiko's smiling face, and immediately turned to stalk out of the room. Crowley clapped as she stood. She was breathing heavily, and swiped at the sweat on her forehead. That was the first time she'd beaten Lacus before. He didn't have the brawn of Rene, but he was fast, even faster than Emiko. He had been a tough opponent in the past, and she was proud of herself for defeating him.

Crowley approached, and smirked down at her. "Well done." Emiko beamed up at him. It wasn't often Crowley complimented her; especially without some insult hidden in there. "You have improved. Although, he did get a good hit on you." He said, eyes zeroed in on her cheek. His hand moved towards it, and she grabbed his wrist. She met his watchful gaze and shook her head, tisking.

"Not a blood bag." She reminded him testily. He looked mildly annoyed, but it passed quickly.

"Practice is over for now. Be back in two hours." He warned her. Emiko hummed her response and skipped out of the training room. She went back to her room, and took a quick shower. She usually would've waited until practice was over for the entire day, but she lived in a house full of vampires. They could smell her sweat from the other side of the mansion. She climbed out of the shower with a sigh of relief, and quickly pulled on a pair of black leggings and a long white, cashmere shirt. She left her hair down, as usual. You also did that a lot in a house full of vampires.

She skipped out of her room and headed towards the kitchen. It was about lunch time, and she was starving. She opened the fridge, and immediately frowned. Milk, cheese, and something that looked suspiciously like green turkey. She shuddered at the thought. The only other items in the fridge were packaged blood. She shut the door with a huff of air. She turned to the pantry, but only discovered half a pack of ritz crackers that were hard and molding bread. She could no longer make due; She needed real food. It was at that precise moment, Mika walked into the room.

He immediately tried to leave once he spotted Emiko, but she was already on him. She wrapped her legs and arms around him, similar to a koala, and held on. "Mika!" She chirped happily. Mika was someone Emiko adored-if only because it was fun irritating him. On the other hand, Mika hated Emiko, and avoided her at all costs. He pulled at her, trying to get her off of him, but she had a grip like steel.

"Will you go with me to the market? Pretty please?" She gave him her best puppy dog face. He glared at her.

"Drop dead," He deadpanned. Emiko laughed.

"Listen, you take me to the market, and you can have some of my blood." Mika stiffened. He took a quick peek at her neck, and his hunger flared. For a reason unknown to everyone here, Emiko smelled like the sweetest dessert. She made mouths water and she'd been attacked by many vampires just for being in the same room as them. Mika was not immune to the intoxicating scent of her blood. It just made him hate her even more.

"Get off of me!" He started fighting harder. Emiko hugged on tighter, laughing playfully at his attempts to remove himself from her. It wasn't possible; Krul had tried, and failed. "I will bite you!" He threatened. Emiko only laughed louder.

"Go ahead, Krul will surely reward me." She threw back. He growled at her. She laughed. Crowley walked in at the wrong moment. It was quite the sight. Emiko had herself wrapped around Mika like a snake. Mika was stumbling around, pushing at her arms and legs to no avail. Mika was glaring viciously at Emiko, whilst Emiko laughed.

"Am I interrupting something?" Crowley asked in amusement. The two paused, both looking over at Crowley comically. Crowley chuckled. Mika looked even further irritated, but Emiko just grinned brightly.

"I need food!" Emiko gave as an explanation. "He's taking me to the market." She finished. Mika glared at her.

"I am not!" He snapped back. Emiko kissed his cheek. He wiped at his cheek. She laughed again. He bared his fangs. "Get off of me!" He yelled again, pushing at her. She clutched onto him tighter.

"Mika, take her to the market." Crowley said dismissively. Mika started to argue, but Crowley cut him off. "She's not going to get off of you until you agree." Crowley reminded him. Mika shut his mouth, and again glared at Emiko. She nodded her agreement. Finally, Mika sighed in defeat. Emiko jumped off of him, but grabbed his wrist to stop him from running.

"Let's go." He grumbled moodily.

"Au revoir!" Emiko called to Crowley, and then ran to keep up with Mika's brisk pace. They left the mansion grounds and headed into the streets of Sanguinem. Humans and Vampires alike stopped to stare at them, curiosity overcoming their features. "Mika, why do you hate humans?" Emiko asked abruptly. He froze for a moment, and turned to stare at her. The question wasn't surprising, coming from Emiko. She didn't have boundaries.

"It's none of your business." He stated flatly. Emiko shrugged.

"I suppose not," She agreed. They continued on in silence for several more minutes, eventually making it to the heart of the town. It was then, she spoke again. "Do you hate vampires too?" She asked. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. He was scowling.

"Yes," He answered simply. Emiko nodded.

"Is there anything you don't hate?" She asked. He came to an abrupt stop, and turned to glare at her.

"Stop asking questions." He ordered. Again, Emiko shrugged. They continued walking.

"I'm sorry for asking." Emiko continued several minutes later. Mika decided not to acknowledge her, and merely continued to lead her through the streets. "It's just...I've had bad things happen to me too. When I was seven, a vampire broke into my house and killed my parents." Mika froze. "I don't know how, but I managed to kill the vampire before it could kill me. I still don't know where I got that strength from. So you see, I knew about vampires two years before they took over the world. But, I still don't hate them." She answered.

"Why?" He asked quietly. Emiko hummed in thought. She bit her lip in concentration, as the question required some deep thinking.

"I don't really know. I certainly have every right to hate vampires. But...I think I know...I know that just like humans, vampires are all different. Krul...I like Krul. Even though she uses me for her own gains, and treats me like a pet, I still like her. I like Chess and Horn too. I still don't know them very well, but I like spending time with them." She explained softly.

"What are you trying to gain by telling me this?" He asked warily. Emiko looked up at him, a puzzled look on her face.

"I'm not trying to gain anything." She answered. "I just wanted to talk to someone. There aren't many people here I can talk to. I don't know you, but I have a good idea of your character. I've always been good at reading people. You're angry, and sad, and lonely, but you're not bad. You won't use the things I tell you against me. That's why I wanted to talk to you." They continued on in silence after that, both mulling over what had been said.

They finally arrived at the market, freeing them from their thoughts. Emiko cheered at the sight, and tugged Mika inside. There wasn't much at the market; vegetables, meat, fruit, some starches, dairy. They didn't carry anything like candy or sweets. They did have sugar though, and Emiko made sure to grab a twenty pound bag of that. They ended up carting home enough food to feed Emiko for two months.

At the door, Emiko stopped, and held out her wrist. He looked at her in confusion. "I said I'd let you drink my blood if you came with me to the market." She reminded him calmly. His gaze hardened, and he pushed her wrist away.

"I don't want it." He said coldly. Emiko sighed, and dropped her wrist to her side.

"What do you plan to gain by starving yourself?" She asked seriously. It shocked Mika a little. The chirpy, happy-go-lucky attitude was suddenly dropped. The tiny blonde put a hand on her jutted out hip, and glared at him sternly. "You think you're fixing anything? Changing anything? Whether you like it or not, you're a vampire." She said flatly. He glared at her.

"Don't-"

"Shut up." She ordered coldly. Surprised at her tone and harsh facial expression, he did as she said. "Stop feeling sorry for yourself. You think you're the only person in the world who's suffered? Who's angry? I'm fucking furious!" Emiko fumed. He took a step back. "But you don't see me punching people and throwing a fit! You need a week to be upset? Fine, be upset. Take a month even. But don't spend your entire life being angry. It won't get you anywhere!" She yelled. Emiko didn't quite understand why she was yelling at Mika all of a sudden. The anger just started to pour out of her, and she didn't know how to stop it. "Who do you think you are yelling at me? All you are is an annoying little pest who acts like a hyperactive child!" He threw back. Emiko clenched her fists. Tears stung her eyes. Why was she doing this? Why was she yelling at him, and causing a scene? This wasn't what she wanted to do, but she couldn't stop herself.

"Screw you! At least I find ways to make myself happy! You walk around like some Edward Cullen reject who's in desperate need of some therapy!" She snapped back. Mika flashed his fangs at her and her eyes flashed red. He launched himself at her and Emiko dodged, moving to throw a fist at his face. He parried, and whipped out his sword. At the exact same moment, Emiko pulled out her whip.

A part of Emiko kept screaming that she didn't want to do this. That she liked Mika, despite what he'd said and treated her, and she didn't want to anger him or fight him. But there was something, a part of Emiko that had been let loose. It was the anger, the frustration, the desperation she felt. She needed to lash out at someone, anyone. Mika had just been the closest to her. Arms wrapped around Emiko's torso abruptly, pulling her from the fray. She shrieked and pulled to get away, but to no avail.

"Let me go!" She shouted angrily, slapping and hitting the person holding her.

"Now, now, play nice." She recognized that as Crowley's voice. He sounded just as amused as ever, and it grated on Emiko's nerves. "Jackass!" She snapped at him. she struggled harder when he chuckled. He pulled her inside the mansion, and carried her through the corridors to her room. Once in her room, he plopped her down on her bed. She moved to leave, but he blocked the door. "Let me out." She growled, and attempted to push him out of the way. No luck. It would be easier moving a brick wall.

Crowley looked down at her with the same look of amusement, but there was also something contemplative about that look. Almost worried. It seemed like Emiko got that look from him a lot. That curious but also concerned look. She couldn't decide if she hated it or not.

"What caused such an outburst?" He asked curiously. Emiko glowered up at him. She clenched her fists at her side, and she was still dying to punch someone. She whirled her fist at Crowley, but he grabbed her fist before it could connect with his face. "Not that I don't find it entertaining-"

"Stop!" She yelled, eyes flaring up with more fury. "Stop finding me entertaining! Stop looking at me with amusement! Do you have any idea how infuriating you are? How much I want to punch you in the face all the time? I hate you so much! I wish Krul had never sent me here! I hate the name calling, and the mocking, and taunting looks!" She started punching his chest. "I hate the training, and my room, and these stupid hallways! I hate it all! Most of all, I hate this stupid demon inside of me! I don't want any of this! Everything about this place pisses me off!" She punched his chest again and again, until her arms got tired. She was breathing heavily when she was finished, her arms dropped down to her sides again.

"It's okay to be angry." The words were so simple, it shocked her. She looked up at him in confusion. He didn't look amused or entertained now. In fact, he didn't wear any sort of expression. He was just watching her, with some sort of deep understanding. He smiled at her then, and ruffled her hair. It surprised her. "Such a silly thing humans do, hiding their emotions. And then they wonder where these violent outbursts come from." He sighed dramatically, and winked at her. "Go to the gym, and give me forty laps." She scowled immediately. And here she was, thinking they were about to have a moment. "Now." He ordered playfully. With a growl of annoyance, Emiko took off towards the gym.

 **Hey guys, happy new years! Hope you enjoy this chapter! Thanks so much to all those following and reviewing my story!**


	7. Chapter 7

Forty laps was brutal, even by Crowley's standards. Emiko was a sweaty, heavy-breathing mess by the end of it. She was clutched over, hands on her knees as she tried desperately to catch her breath. Sweat dripped from her forehead onto the floor, and Emiko made a disgusted face. She stood up straight, and turned to glare at him. He stood in the doorway, wearing that same annoying smirk, as always. She glared at him, but she was still breathing heavily, so it only made her face look deformed.

Crowley walked further into the room, stopping a few feet away. "How are you feeling?" He asked lightly. Her glare darkened further.

"Like I want to hit you with a hammer." She snapped back. His smirk widened.

"Well then, twenty more laps." Her eyes widened in disbelief. She gave him a look of disbelief and he nodded, and then motioned towards the track. Emiko wanted to refuse, but she knew Krul would chastise her for disobeying Crowley, when she specifically ordered her to follow his training.

Emiko took in a deep breath of air, and then got started running again. By the end of the ten laps, Emiko fell to her knees. If she had been sweating before, she was a river now. Her hair was slick with sweat, and it clung to her eyelashes. She felt gross, and tired beyond belief. She also wanted to feel angry, but she was far too exhausted for it. She saw Crowley's boots hit the floor a few feet in front of her.

"How about now?" He asked, the taunting smirk still gracing his face. Emiko wanted to snap back that she hated him, and that this was cruel and unusual punishment, but she couldn't speak through breathing. She fell back on the hard floor. She stared up at the ceiling with tired eyes, and all she wanted was to fall asleep here and now. Crowley leaned over her.

"I'll take it the angers gone." He said pleasantly. Emiko groaned.

"I hate you." He chuckled and offered her his hand. She refused, and sat up on her own. Her breathing was getting slower, and she didn't feel like she was going to die anymore. That was a plus. "Water," She coughed. He handed her a water bottle. She hurriedly unscrewed the cap, and knocked back the water, taking greedy gulps. She didn't stop until the water bottle was empty. "What time is it?" She asked. They didn't have a clock in the gym.

"About four." He answered. She didn't know how he knew; he wasn't wearing a watch. "I'll have one of the staff make dinner. You should go wash up." He said. Emiko didn't even have the energy for a snappy retort. She trudged out of the gym and down the halls, eyes searching for her door.

Fortunately, she found it without running into anybody. She continued through her room right into the bathroom, locked the door, and stripped. She got into the shower, letting the hot water run over her aching muscles. She was going to hurt in the morning. She took her time in the shower, washing her hair and body, and letting the water soothe her. Finally, she got out. She grabbed a towel off the counter and wrapped it around herself. She stopped at the mirror. She wiped her hand over it to defog it, and took a look at herself. She looked tired. Her eyes were a bit droopy, and she could already see a pimple forming in her hairline from all the sweat. Her lips were cracked and chapped, and she was in desperate need of some lip balm. Perhaps Horn had some? She didn't know, but she would definitely ask her.

With a sigh, Emiko walked out of the bathroom and into her room. Leaning up against her door, was Mika. He immediately blushed when he saw her in nothing but a white towel, and turned his head to look away. Emiko blinked at him in confusion, and then continued on towards her dresser. "What do you want?" She asked with a sigh.

"I...I'll wait outside." Emiko rolled her eyes.

"What does it matter? You vampires only view humans as food. As if one of you would ever chase after a mortal." Her tone was a bit mocking, but she'd had a long day. Mika glared at her, but his cheeks were still pink. She pulled out a pair of white underwear and a matching bra. Luckily, the market had some clothing for the humans kept here in Sanguinem. Besides underwear though, Emiko usually wore either Chess' clothes, or she made her own. She also pulled out a pair of black leggings and an oversized red sweater. It was getting a bit chilly. She then turned to Mika. "Do you mind?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. She held up her clothes. "It'll be a little awkward if I change in front of you." He looked like he wanted to argue that he'd just said that, but he was still too embarrassed to form complete sentences. He left the room. Emiko changed into the clothes, and also pulled on a pair of white socks and some brown boots. She called Mika back in as she started brushing her long blonde tresses.

He was silent for a while, observing the process. "What was earlier about?" He asked finally. Emiko didn't respond for several seconds, and at first, Mika thought she was ignoring him. Finally, she spoke.

"There is a demon inside of me." She answered, shocking Mika. "The demon in my cursed gear-Mirai-she is inside of my body now. I don't...I don't remember how it happened. My memories are still too fuzzy, but I understood it finally on the day of my first mission. I can call upon her power without having hold of my guns. My emotions...they're so strong, all because of her. Especially my negative ones. Anger, sadness, fear, she increases them tenfold. I think that's why I acted the way I did. I am sorry, Mika." She turned to look at him. She met his eyes. Her gaze was soft. "I didn't mean to say or do anything hurtful. I wanted to go to the market with you because I knew that you didn't like me, and I wanted to prove that I wasn't like every other human you've met. Instead, I annoyed you and upset you." She looked down. Her hands were clenching the hair brush tightly.

"I don't like you because you remind me a lot of people I've lost." He answered, catching her off guard. Her eyes widened, and she looked up to meet his gaze. His eyes were harsh, but she could tell it wasn't pointed at her. It was the memories. Whatever he was remembering, it was painful. She felt bad for him.

"I'm sorry." She didn't know what else to say. He turned away from her, and walked towards the door. He grabbed the doorknob, but stopped.

"Dinner's ready." Then he left. Emiko finished brushing her hair, and then headed down the corridors to the dining room. Chess, Horn, and Crowley were already seated. She found it to be a surprise; they rarely ate dinner with her. They had much more important things to do. Plus, they didn't really eat. They could, but they usually preferred blood. Hence the lack of food in the kitchen. She sat down at her usual place, and a maid set a plate of food in front of her. It was pork with rice and gravy, and some steamed vegetables. After her long running session from earlier, she dug in like a starved animal. After her plate was cleaned, she took a sip of the liquid in her glass. Crowley usually had bottles of wine in the cellar, and she quite liked the taste. She was sure she'd had before too, because it tasted familiar. The staff usually gave her a glass at every dinner.

"Is there any more training tonight?" Emiko asked Crowley blandly. She was still angry at him for earlier.

"No. The evening is yours. Though, I do believe Krul may be stopping by tonight. She'll probably want to see you." He informed her. He wasn't even looking at her now. He looked boredly at his champagne glass full of blood, sloshing the liquid around. Emiko hated when he did that. She stood and left the dining room without a word to anyone else, and immediately headed to the music room. She grabbed a violin and headed towards the Gazebo. She desperately needed to get her mind off of things.

She started to play a more upbeat song, that reminded her a bit of old west films. The more she thinks on it, she realizes that's where she learned the song. She used to watch them with her dad when she was little. Her favorite had been 'The Shootist'. It was sad but amazing. It was her dad's favorite too. She wasn't sure which song this one was from, but it had been one of her favorites to learn.

She played a few more songs after that, but it was starting to get dark. She headed inside the mansion, and put the violin back in the music room. She decided it might be time for a good prank. They always made her feel better. However, this time, she had a particular person she wanted to prank. He'd been annoying her all week, and it was for some payback. She would have to enlist Horn and Chess though, or she'd never be able to pull it off.

She knocked on Chess' door. Chess threw the door wide open, and grinned when she saw Emiko. She nearly knocked her over in a hug, wrapping herself around Emiko in a similar fashion to the way Emiko had done to Mika earlier today. Out of everyone, Emiko and Chess got along the best. Crowley had been right in that. Chess was even more hyper than Emiko was, and she'd enjoyed watching quite a few of Emiko's pranks.

"What brings you here?" Chess chirped, ushering Emiko inside her room. Chess' room was gorgeous with light purple walls, a dark purple comforter, and a canopy. She had a beautiful vanity to the left of the room, set up with makeup, hair supplies, and jewelry.

"I was wondering if you'd be willing to help me pull a prank-"

"Yes! A million, trillion, billion times yes!" Chess nearly jumped Emiko again. She was jumping up and down in excitement, eyes wide and happy. She'd been waiting for this.

"-On Crowley." Some of the bounce fell out of her step. She looked at Emiko with an unreadable expression.

"What do you plan to do?" She asked. Emiko shrugged.

"I haven't decided yet." Wrong. She had decided, she just didn't want Chess running and telling Crowley. She needed to know Chess was on board first before she gave her details. "Nothing too bad though," She promised Chess. "It'll be fun. He's always the one making fun of me. Hasn't he ever made you angry before? Frustrated?"

"Sexually, maybe." Chess muttered. Emiko hit her shoulder playfully. Chess grinned like the cheshire cat. "Okay, fine. I'm on board. What's your idea?" She was jumping up and down in place again.

Emiko gave her details. The more and more Emiko talked, the wider Chess' grin got. She was giggling quietly by the end of it, and there was an excited light in her eyes. "We've got to get Horn in on this." Emiko shrugged, and bit her lip nervously.

"Do you think Horn will go along with it?" She asked. Chess scoffed.

"Of course. Horn's not completely stuffy. Once she hears your plan, she'll realize you're a bloody genius and that we have to go through with this. It'll be a crime not to." So, Emiko and Chess took off down the hall towards Horn's room, but Emiko came to a rearing stop when she saw Krul. She grinned, and proceeded to launch herself at the vampire queen.

Unfortunately, Krul was waiting for that. She sidestepped her and Emiko ate the floor. It did not taste pleasant. She sat up and pouted at Krul. Krul gave her an amused glance and pulled Emiko up by her wrist. "How have things been?" Krul asked her. Emiko shrugged. She turned to Chess and waved.

"I'll come by in a little bit! Let Horn in on our plan!" She called to the bluette already running down the hall. Emiko turned back to Krul, who smiled knowingly at her.

"Another prank?" She asked in amusement. Emiko liked it when Krul was amused. She liked entertaining Krul. She hated when it was Crowley. Emiko shrugged, and smiled playfully.

"Maybe." She chirped.

"Who is the victim this time?" Krul asked. The two began walking down the hall side by side. Emiko glanced at Krul, and put a finger to her lips.

"It's a secret." Emiko explained. Krul hummed in response and turned down another hallway. Emiko followed. "But I can tell you it will be spectacular. One of my best pranks yet."

It was always fun talking to Krul. Even though Emiko was angry with her for quite some time, she could never hate Krul. Unfortunately, Krul didn't have long to talk. She was meeting with Crowley about some important details about the Imperial demon army. Emiko wasn't allowed to be there, obviously. So, Emiko tracked down Horn and Chess. She found them in Horn's room. Horn had a disapproving look on her face, and Chess was hopping up and down.

"It's a terrible idea." Horn warned Emiko. Emiko smiled slyly.

"It's so brilliant. It's not like it will hurt him. He deserves it." Emiko finished off with finality. Horn sighed in defeat.

"You are asking for trouble. Do you have any idea what might happen?" Horn said, but she sounded tired, like she knew nothing she said would change their minds. Emiko shrugged.

"Why do you think I have you guys for backup?" Horn scowled at her. Emiko smiled innocently. Chess laughed. It was a good time. Emiko clapped her hands together, and jumped up. "So it's set! I'll start it tonight. He's in a meeting with Krul, so his room is empty. Be my lookouts?" She begged. Chess nodded eagerly, and Horn only sighed in defeat once more.

They left Horn's room and hurried to the kitchen. Inside the fridge, behind the bags of human blood, they came across a container of pigs blood. It was disgusting. Horn and Chess both turned up their noses at it, and looked the other way. The only reason they had this crap was because there was a member of their staff who was a 'vegetarian'. No human blood for him. None of the other staff got along with him.

They crept down the halls, expertly avoiding anyone who may have seen them. Once at Crowley's door, Chess and Horn kept watch whilst Emiko crept inside. Looking around the large room, she decided on where she would place it. First, she opened up the container and walked towards the curtain rod. She grabbed a chair and stood up on it. She dipped her finger in the blood, and wiped the blood it on the inside of the curtain rod. After getting a sufficient amount of the pig's blood on the inside of the curtain rod, she walked to his bed. She wiped some on the floor beneath his bed. The carpet was dark, so it was hard to see too. She walked over to his closet and started placing small dabs of the blood on the inside of his heavy coats. Finally, she stopped over by the nightstand, where the heater vent lay. She pulled it open, and stuffed the entire container into the vent. She put the vent back over it and walked out the door. She, Chess, and Horn took off down the halls before they could be seen.

Emiko grinned the entire way. She realized she may very well die for this, but it was totally worth it. She said goodnight to Chess and Horn after that, and headed to her room. It wasn't super late-about eight-but Emiko was starting to feel the exhaustion from all the running. She'd pushed her body hard today, and it was begging for some rest. Emiko just didn't look forward to how she felt in the morning.

She changed into a pair of fuzzy black shorts and a white camisole. She hopped into bed, and fell asleep quickly, a smile on her lips at the thought of Crowley's face tomorrow.

She was up bright and early the next morning. She immediately felt the strain on her muscles. They ached as she sat up and she winced. She knew instantly that today, was going to be a bad day. She grumbled as she got up, and walked towards her dresser. She pulled out a clean pair of underwear and a black sports bra. She grabbed some hot pink yoga pants and a loose white tank top. She changed and headed into the bathroom, finishing her morning routine and then heading to the kitchen.

Emiko usually made her own breakfast, as the staff had more important things to do in the mornings. She suffered through making some eggs over toast and sat down by herself at the dining room table. Even her arms hurt, and she winced whenever she moved to take a bite of food.

After finishing her breakfast, Emiko placed her plate in the sink and hurried to the gym. Crowley was already waiting there. He smiled pleasantly at Emiko, and she had the distinct urge to run away. He knew. He'd never smiled at her like that before. He always smirked and smiled tauntingly. It was never pleasant. She shuffled a little in the room, trying not to let her fear shine through.

"Grab the Bo." She was screwed. She moved slowly to the closet, and grabbed two bo. Bo were those wooden staffs you often saw Martial artists using in performances or training. Crowley had only taught her the basics of the Bo, and only when she'd done something to irritate him. Every time she did something wrong, he whacked the bo against her thigh. It stung like hell. Reluctantly, she handed him the bo.

"Crowley, I'm sore from yesterday, can't we take it easy-" He whacked her upper thigh with the bo staff. She yelped and jumped, clutching at her leg in pain.

"Take basic position." Glaring at him scornfully, Emiko took the stance. Then, it began. They practiced with the Bo, Crowley occasionally teaching her new moves when she mastered the old ones and he couldn't hit her with the Bo anymore. By the end of the hour, Emiko was laying back on the floor, breathing heavily. She clutched at her pained left thigh, feeling like she was ready to cry. The skin was red and pained, and she would have a very nasty bruise in the morning.

"Thirty laps." He told her, ever pleasant. Frustrated tears stung her eyes, but she swallowed them. She left the bo there and stood up, beginning the laps. Every time she pushed on her left leg it ached painfully. She was half convinced he'd fractured the bone. Thirty laps done and over, she stopped in front of him. She refused to collapse to the floor again, he would not see her break.

"What next?" She asked, eyes blazing with a challenge. She was slick with sweat and her heart thrummed painfully against her chest, but she was angry now. She didn't want to lose to him. He tilted his head, studying her for a moment with watchful eyes. He was trying to get a read on her. Unfortunately, he couldn't find one. He smiled again.

"Go put some ice on that leg. Be back in thirty minutes." Then, he turned and walked out without another word. Emiko groaned, and crashed against the floor. Why had she pulled that prank again? Oh yeah, he deserved it. In fact, despite the pain she's going through, she just feels all the more determined to prank him again for what he's done.

Reluctantly, Emiko stood and headed towards the infirmary. It was a small room, just packed with basic first aid. She grabbed an ice pack out of the freezer and wrapped a paper towel over it. She sat down, and placed the ice over her left thigh, hissing at the cold. Chess appeared in the doorway, hopping and hyper as always. She looked at Emiko's miserable state, and smiled with mirth.

"He figured it out already?" She asked. Emiko groaned, hitting her head against her knees. Chess laughed daintily, and took a seat next to Emiko. "Don't worry, Crowley doesn't hold grudges. This is probably just payback." She attempted to soothe. Emiko didn't feel comforted.

"How long until this 'payback' is over?" She asked. Chess shrugged.

"Depends on how generous he's feeling." She replied.

"Isn't there any way to make this end earlier?" Emiko asked pleadingly.

"Yes, but you won't like it." Chess explained. Emiko leaned forward eagerly, gripping the small vampiress by the shoulders.

"Tell me!" Chess flashed her fangs and then landed her eyes on Emiko's neck. Emiko jumped back, and promptly fell off the bench. Chess closed her mouth and shrugged unhelpfully.

"Drink my blood?" Emiko asked in horror. Chess nodded.

"In case you hadn't noticed, your blood smells particularly delicious. Even Lord Crowley himself desires to taste it. Let him drink your blood, and he'd overlook anything." Chess finished with a nonchalant look at her nails. Emiko stared at Chess as if she wasn't sure if she was being serious.

"I'd rather deal with the pain." Emiko grumbled and stood. She threw the ice pack back in the freezer and turned to leave.

"Why are you so against it?" Chess asked curiously. Emiko looked at her in disbelief.

"I'm a person, not a blood bank, Chess. I have self respect." She answered. Chess hummed.

"Well, if you want a way out, that's how to do it." Chess shrugged. Emiko rolled her eyes, and returned to the gym. Crowley had set up the rope course. Emiko sighed. He really was trying to kill her. Emiko climbed the ropes unsteadily, gripping on for dear life. She wasn't wearing a harness, so if she fell, she would fall hard. Fortunately, training had given her strong arm muscles, and she managed to climb the rope and ring the bell at the top. She was pretty proud of herself. She climbed back down, and jumped on the balls of her feet happily. Ha! Take that Crowley, she thought triumphantly.

Crowley had his sword. Emiko cursed mentally. They were going to be sword fighting.

It's not that Emiko isn't good with a sword; she is. Very talented, actually. The truth is, however, that Crowley is a thousand year old vampire. It didn't matter if Emiko had picked up a sword the day she was born; Crowley was going to be a million times better than her. And he was. He was also brutal, as always. He never actually drew blood, but he did occasionally hit her with the blunt of the sword, or get in a punch or kick or shove through the fighting.

The good thing was despite the beating she was getting, she was actually learning things. Crowley was a great teacher. His correction methods may be a bit off, but he was always patient and he had a way of explaining and teaching things that made it easy to understand. Emiko had only been living at Crowley's for a number of weeks, but her weaponry and fighting skills were already ten times better.

Crowley didn't always take the all credit, though. On rare occasions, he would compliment Emiko. He mentioned that she was a fast learner, and picked things up quickly. Emiko didn't want to admit it, but his compliments made her beam.

The flat of his sword dug into her side, and she went toppling to the ground. She yelped as she hit the ground, her right side aching. Crowley smiled above her. "Don't get distracted." He all but tisked. Emiko wanted to punch him. It was not a new feeling though, so she swallowed it down and stood back up. They continued on. Stabbing, slashing, parrying, dodging. Emiko remembered someone once telling her that combat was sort of like dance, and she could see what they mean. Their movements reminded her of the waltz or tango. One partner moves closer, while the other steps back. Then they do the opposite. It was a dance of offense and defense, back and forth. She imagined that if her and Crowley ever did dance, they would be well accustomed to each other's movements.

After a grueling two hour sword fighting session, Crowley finally ended the session. "It's about noon. You have the next three hours to yourself. Put the equipment away." Then, he was gone. He always did that. With a sigh, Emiko put all of the equipment away and headed to her room for a quick. After a relieving shower, she changed into a blue sundress with white two inch heels. She pulled her hair into a side braid, letting loose strands fall out and frame her face. She walked into the kitchen, had lunch, and then went to the music room. She played a few songs on the piano. She was getting bored though. All she ever did was play music, read, sew, or prank. She liked doing those things, but not in excess. She needed something new to do. She headed to the tv room.

The Tv room was small, dimly lit, and rarely used. Most vampires just didn't care for movies, and Emiko didn't blame them. She wasn't one for too much tv either. But, she was bored and in need of some entertainment. She opened the cabinet full of dvds and started looking through them. Finally, her eyes found something miraculous; old western movies. It was like hallelujah. They even had dvds of Texas ranger, which had been her favorite tv show before the apocalypse happened.

Emiko grabbed the lone ranger and put it into the DVD player. She sat back on the dusty couch and watched with her eyes glued to the television. She didn't even realize when her three hour break was over. She was enjoying the movie far too much.

Someone cleared their throat in the doorway. Emiko jumped up, and whirled around. Crowley was leaning against the doorframe. He looked past her and towards the tv, surprise flickering across his features. "The Lone ranger?" He asked dubiously. Emiko shrugged.

"I like Western films." She explained. Suddenly, it dawned on her. She stood up abruptly. "I'm sorry, I got distracted, I'll go change and then head to the gym-"

"Finish your movie. Then head to the gym." Emiko stood there in shock at the surprise act of kindness. He didn't wait for a response though, as he turned and left. Emiko gave a confused look at the spot where he'd been standing, thoroughly shocked.

"Huh. I guess he does have one nice bone in his body." She murmured, and then she turned to continue watching the movie. Once it was over, she headed back to her room to change back into some workout clothes and headed to the gym. Crowley wasn't in there, so she began stretching. She fell down into the splits, and draped her body across each leg for about a minute.

One of Emiko's greatest strengths was her flexibility. She'd taken a lot of gymnastics classes when she was a little girl, and she had natural talent for it. She assumed she kept up with it in the army as well, because she was still extremely flexible. She could go into a backbend, lean down, and bite her own foot. Not that she did, that was kind of gross, but she could, and it made her pretty proud. She was practically a contortionist.

After stretching, Crowley, nor any of her other trainers (Namely Chess, Horn, Lacus, Rene, or occasionally Mika) came to work with her, so she laid out some mats and started with the gymnastics. Emiko found that there wasn't much she couldn't do in terms of acrobatics. It was like muscle reflex for her. She knew exactly what to do to perform a maneuver. She rarely fell, though it did happen. Usually when she was goofing off and being an idiot.

She did some front handsprings, some back handsprings, some aerials and back tucks. She tried walking on her hands, but promptly fell onto her face. Haughtily, she assumed she couldn't be good at _everything_. Then, it pissed her off she wasn't good at it, so she tried again. She landed on her head. Luckily, nothing made any cracking noises, but her head did hurt. She decided not to try that again.

She sat down at the mat, rubbing the goose egg atop her head. She really was an idiot sometimes. On that, she couldn't disagree with Crowley on. Rene did eventually show up, and grumbled out for her to do some weight training.

Fortunately, after this session she didn't feel like she was going to die. Rene usually went easy on her, but only because he didn't like putting forth the effort to challenge her. She headed back to her room to shower off all the grime once again. Without another training for the day, Emiko felt relieved. Today started off hellishly, but had ended on a rather good note. She changed back into the dress and heels, and headed off to dinner.

Weirdly enough, Ferid was there. Emiko was instantly on guard. Emiko and Ferid had an interesting relationship. Emiko liked Ferid, for the most part, and Ferid liked Emiko, because she was entertaining. Emiko was okay with this, but she knew she needed to be cautious around him. Krul had warned her of just how manipulative and clever he was, and that the fact he was interested in her wasn't a good thing. He smiled pleasantly at her when he saw her, and beckoned her over.

Playing her usual part, Emiko grinned and danced over to him, kissing him on the cheek and then taking a seat next to him. The staff brought out a plate of beef with rice and mixed veggies, with a glass of the usual wine. They set a wine glass full of blood in front of Ferid.

"What brings you here?" She asked, and then moved to take a bite of the beef. It was juicy and delicious.

"I was wondering if I may ask a favor of you." Emiko tried not to look suspicious, but she failed. She regarded him with wary eyes, something he did not fail to notice.

"What kind of favor?" She asked, despite herself. She wanted to say no, but she figured she'd give him a chance to explain. Perhaps, it wouldn't be too bad?

"You see, my dear, It is quite lonely at my mansion. Just me and the servants." He gave a dramatic sigh. "Crowley has so many lively faces here to look at. I was hoping you would come live with me." Red alerts started going off in Emiko's head. She was unsure how to respond. She didn't want to offend Crowley or outright reject him; that would spell bad news. However, she didn't want to go live with him in the least. Crowley was mean and harsh, but he wasn't Ferid.

"I don't think Krul would allow that." Emiko responded. His smile deepened.

"Oh, but if you requested it, she would surely accept. Krul absolutely adores you." He pointed out. Emiko shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"I'm sorry, Ferid," She apologized. "But I can't. Krul wants me to be here. I want to do what Krul asks of me. If Krul wants me to be here, then this is where I will stay." She explained. Ferid smiled as pleasantly as ever, but there was a bit of steel in his eyes. "Please don't be angry." Emiko all but begged. She leaned towards him. "I just...I trust that Krul has a reason for having me stay here. I would love to come stay with you, I get along much better with you than Crowley, but I have to do what Krul says." He knew that was a lie, and she knew he knew. But, the two of them would keep up pretenses. At least for now.

TWO SOULS:

 **Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I had a ton of fun writing it! I know it hasn't been long since I updated, but I figured you wouldn't mind an early update. ;)**

 **A few things. Some of you are a bit disappointed that what's wrong with Emiko is the demon. I have to tell you, yes, that is a part of her affliction, and where the title comes from. There is a lot that goes into it as well, so it's not as simple as it seems.**

 **That being said, have you guys ever heard of red herrings? If you haven't, look it up. You'll soon come to realize that I've revealed a mere fraction of just who and what Emiko is.**

 **Thanks for reading, and I really appreciate every single review I get! Also, it's okay to give me constructive feedback, or when you don't like things. Your opinions matter to me! Trust me, I want you to! As long as you're not being mean, I enjoy getting constructive feedback. As you can probably tell, I'm still learning a lot when it comes to writing stories. I'm not even eighteen yet (though I will be in like, five days. :D) and I haven't gotten to go to college and major in creative writing yet. So, getting feedback, both positive and constructive, is super helpful to me! Thanks for reading!**


	8. Chapter 8

After such a stressful day, Emiko took to the music room to unwind. The harp was always the most calming to her, so she sat down beside it, and played. She relaxed from head to toe. She hardly noticed when Horn entered the room. She stood at the doorway, listening quietly to the harmonious song.

"Beautiful, as always." Horn praised. Emiko turned to face her, and smiled.

"Thanks." Emiko responded softly.

"You have a new mission." Horn informed her. Emiko looked up in surprise. She didn't think she would get a new mission so soon after the last one. Especially since the last one went so terribly.

"What is it?" She asked. Horn motioned for Emiko to follow. She did, and Horn lead her to Crowley's office. She wasn't allowed in here very often. It was one of the few rooms Emiko was banned from. Because she has a habit of destroying things. With her pranks. She regrets nothing.

Crowley sat behind his desk, and he looked to be busy. He had towers of papers in front of him, and a pen in his hand. He looked frightfully bored though. He smirked when he saw the two of them enter, and Emiko could tell he was glad for a break. "What's my mission?" Emiko asked.

"There is a Horsemen right outside the entrance of Sanguinem, and it's causing a bit of trouble. She would normally send some of the city guards to take care of it, but there's been an outbreak of disease in the children in Sanguinem, and a fight in Nagoya with the army. We're running a bit thin on troops. Horn and Chess will escort you to the entrance." Emiko scowled.

"Why can't you or Chess or Horn take care of it?" She asked. He smiled pleasantly, and Emiko was instantly on guard.

"Because we have better things to do with our time." Emiko huffed in annoyance. She hardly though Chess or Horn ever had any important things to do with their time. She was pretty sure the two of them just hung around and did whatever Crowley told them to do.

"Fine." Emiko said in defeat. Emiko turned to leave, but then she stopped. She whirled back around. "No, actually, I want a reward." She crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a stubborn look. He raised an eyebrow.

"A reward?" He asked. Emiko nodded.

"Yes, a reward. I train all day, go on missions that could get me killed, and I don't ever get anything for it. Most people get paid when they do manual labor you know." Emiko pointed out. His amusement only seemed to grow with the more she spoke. She was irritated by it, but she wasn't backing down.

"What do you want?" He asked. Emiko came to a stop. She hadn't thought about that. In all honesty, Emiko had just wanted to argue with him. She was getting really tired of being ordered around like some lap dog. She thought he would've argued with her, or dismissed her, but he hadn't. Now, she was at a loss of what to say.

"I...don't know." Emiko muttered, and began to think it over. What did she want? Did she want anything at all? Suddenly, it came to her. "I want a box of pocky." She didn't know where that had come from. The delicious treat had suddenly entered her mind, and now all she could think about was how badly she missed it.

"A box of pocky?" He repeated. Now he was toying with her. Emiko stood up straighter and nodded, giving him a serious look.

"Yes." She continued. "I want a box of Chocolate pocky. And strawberry too!" She included as an afterthought. She might as well take advantage of this situation. Crowley gave a mocking grin.

"Very well. Complete this mission and I will ensure that you get a box of Chocolate and Strawberry pocky." His voice dripped with honey, and she hated it. Emiko felt smug satisfaction well up inside of her. She was getting paid. With candy, but that's not what mattered! She was proud of herself for asking for something. She turned and walked out of his office.

LINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINE

Destroying the horseman of the Apocalypse was easy. Getting laughed at because she wanted to be paid in candy was not. By the time she'd returned to the Mansion, plenty of members of the staff had heard of Emiko's stupid demands. It wasn't much, but after being antagonized by her so much, they would take any dirt to throw at her. And they did. They laughed and joked and taunted. It really wouldn't have bugged her all that much, except they started to make fun of her weight. They started joking that they could already see the fat bulging on her stomach and thighs. Not cool. Didn't they know to never tease a girl about her weight? Besides, Emiko was as fit as a fiddle. Her stomach was flat and her thighs toned from all the workouts. That didn't stop her from checking in the mirror.

Her eyes could actually see the places the fat would start to build up. When Chess delivered the pocky, she couldn't stomach to look at it. She threw it in her nightstand and plopped down in bed. With a pout and grumble, Emiko turned over and fell asleep.

LINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINE

Emiko thought Crowley was over the whole 'pig's blood in your bedroom's heating vent' thing. He wasn't. He sent Chess to wake her up at six A.M., and when Emiko told Chess to promptly go to hell, she turned her mattress over.

It was not a good start to the day.

She trudged out of her room at 6:15, wearing a pair of black yoga shorts and a pink tank top. Chess chattered happily beside her, but Emiko didn't listen to a word of it. She walked her to the gym, and then left. She pushed open the door to the gym. She didn't hear the telltale signs of the bucket until it was too late. Gooey, dark red liquid spilled over Emiko from head to toe. She stood there in shock for several long seconds, unsure of how to respond. She'd never been pranked before. She was always the pranker. She felt fury start to build up deep in her chest. She couldn't see where Crowley was, but she knew he was watching.

"This means war!" Emiko shouted, as she wiped the blood off of her face. She stormed out of the gym, and back to her room. She hurried into her bathroom and took a two hour shower. By the end of it, she still felt gross. Unfortunately though, she didn't think she could get any cleaner. Still scowling, Emiko jumped out of the shower, and dried off.

As Emiko was brushing through her hair, a devilish idea came to mind. The perfect revenge. Smiling at her mirror self, she pulled her blonde locks up into a high ponytail. She walked out of the bathroom and into her closet. Her landed on a pair of black yoga shorts-similar to the ones she was wearing earlier-and a v-neck red tank top. She was ready. It was already 8:30, so she was late for her morning training session. Not that she cared though. Crowley was going to regret pranking her.

As she thought, he was waiting in the gym for her. He wouldn't dare miss the aftermath of his little prank. He smirked when he saw her, watching her with excited eyes. He was expecting a fight. Emiko smiled sweetly when she saw him, and walked right passed him. "What are we working on today?" She asked as she began stretching. Crowley turned to face her. His excited look had turned into one of contemplation, as he tried to decide what she was doing. She sent him an innocent look. His eyes narrowed.

She threw her hair back, giving him a quick, direct view of her porcelain neck. His eyes narrowed further. "Twenty laps." He ordered. Emiko stopped stretching, and started running. She mostly focused on the running, but every once in awhile she would take a peek at Crowley. He was watching with curious eyes, and she knew he was trying to figure out what her game plan was. She sent him a sweet smile. He frowned.

She wanted to laugh so bad. He stopped her after ten laps. "We're going to spar." He informed her. She shrugged and nodded. That just made her plan even more perfect. She set up the mat and they began sparring. He wasn't as tough as he normally was, and she could tell he was still trying to figure her out. He thought she would've shown up angry and ready for a fight, but she'd turned the tables on him. Now, he didn't know how to respond just yet.

Emiko was having fun. The fact that he was going easier on her today meant she was actually able to get a few hits in, and every once in awhile she made sure she flashed her neck at him. She roundhouse kicked him. Amazingly, it landed. Her foot connected with his chest, and taking advantage of the situation, she barreled into him. She put her hands on his shoulders and pushed, pushing him into the ground and landing on top of him. She was breathing so heavily, and was so proud of herself, that she hardly even realized she was straddling him.

Her chest heaved as she pulled in air, and her throat burned with protest. He was watching her with narrowed eyes, and she couldn't decipher what emotion he was feeling at the moment. Once she got her breathing under control, she grinned. "I beat you!" She chirped happily. She laughed a little. "I actually beat you! I mean, you were going easy on me, but I still beat you! Ha ha!" She climbed off of him and started hopping around happily. She did a weird little jig, the grin never once leaving her face. Crowley chuckled under his breath, eyes alight with amusement. The good kind though, the kind of look a boyfriend might send his girlfriend when she was acting adorably jealous-boyfriend? Emiko stopped dancing. She glanced at Crowley, and then shook her head. There was no way in hell that would ever happen.

"Are we done for the morning?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest. Why was she suddenly getting an attitude? She didn't understand.

"No. Archery practice." Emiko groaned. Not the Archery! Crowley left after that, warning her that he'd be back in an hour to check on her progress. Emiko got to setting up the targets, and then grabbed a bow and a thing of arrows. She got to work. Emiko was normally naturally good at things. She didn't know why, but she just had a knack for picking up on things really quickly. She thinks it was because her parents got her involved in so many different activities when she was little, that she got the knack for it.

Archery was not one of those things. She _hated_ archery. She didn't know what it was, but she could never get it right, no matter how many times Crowley or Lacus or Chess or Mika showed her how. They eventually gave up, and usually just have her practice on her own, or show her the mechanics of a bow, and how it works. An arrow hit the outer edge of the target. She sighed. She shot again; it missed the target. Emiko felt like breaking the bow.

After an hour of mindless torture, Horn showed up to tell Emiko that she was done for the morning, and had three hours to herself before her next training session. Emiko skipped the shower, as she wasn't too gross today, and headed to the kitchen. She made herself a veggie sandwich, and sat down at the counter to eat.

She had quite a few things to do today, which was rare. Most of her days were centered around training, but today She had to get back at Crowley (which was already in progress), and Krul had a few lab tests she wanted Emiko to take. For Emiko, that was a pretty busy schedule. Emiko finished up her sandwich and headed to find Chess. As much as she didn't want to tell Chess what her plan was, she needed her help. She skipped to Chess' room and knocked on her door.

Chess opened her door, and grinned when she saw Emiko. "What's the plan?" She asked mischievously. Emiko laughed. You could always count on Chess to know what's up. After this morning, she had to know that Emiko was just itching to pull a prank on Crowley again. She practically jumped in spot as Emiko told her the plan.

"That's gonna get you killed." Chess announced once Emiko was finished. Emiko raised an eyebrow, and sent her a questioning look. "Before it was just pig's blood-not appetizing at all, and just annoying. You're messing with things you shouldn't." Chess warned her, but she still seemed excited. Emiko shrugged.

"Eh, he deserves it." Emiko said nonchalantly. Chess giggled.

"As long as you know what the consequences might be, then let's do it." Said said excitedly. They crept down the hallway towards Crowley's room. Luckily, Chess knew that Crowley was in his office for the next two hours, working. That gave Emiko plenty of time. Chess guarded the hallway like last time as Emiko snuck in. The room still smelled like rotten pig's blood. Emiko scrunched up her nose in disgust. No wonder he pranked her this morning; this was awful. Still, she would fulfill her plan.

She walked over to the bed, and pulled the pillow out of it's cover. Then, she took the pin out of her pocket and pricked her finger. She smeared it on the back of his pillow, and grinned deviously. Let's see how he likes that, she thought triumphantly.

"Lord Crowley!" Uh oh. That was Chess. Emiko started to panic. "Oh, I was just looking for you!" Chess seemed to be explaining.

"Chess, you know my schedule." He pointed out.

"Yes, but you weren't in your office when I came to find you, so I came here!" Such a quick thinker Chess could be. She really didn't get enough credit. Finding nothing else, Emiko ran into the bathroom. She turned to the window, which sat on the furthest right wall. Using the sink as a lift, she opened the window and hoisted herself up. It was a small window, but luckily she managed to squeeze herself through. She heard the bedroom door open, and she panicked. She let go-and promptly dropped three stories.

Emiko wasn't going to lie, it hurt like a bitch. She cursed violently as she rubbed her backside. She stood up quickly and did a mixture of limping and running away from the window. It was a good thing Emiko had a strong durability, or she very well may have died from that fall.

Chess met her at the door. She was giggling profusely, and couldn't seem to get it under control. The giggles burst out into full on laughter when she saw Emiko. "You-I can't believe you-Oh you are my favorite person-hahaha~!" Emiko scowled.

"It's not funny!" Emiko whined. "I think I broke my butt!" Chess laughed harder. Emiko pouted, but she soon began to smile. Chess' laughter was just so infectious. She started laughing with her. "I think that's the dumbest thing I've ever done." Emiko giggled.

"Probably." Chess agreed. "If Lord Crowley doesn't drain you dry, just know, you've become my favorite human." Emiko couldn't help it; she laughed. Sure, the possibility of Crowley draining her of blood was a very high possibility, but she couldn't stop imagining the frustrated look he would wear. She would very well regret this in the morning, but for now, she was quite proud of herself.

Chess' eyes staring at her finger reminded her that she was bleeding. Out of habit, Emiko stuck her finger in her mouth. Chess' mouth dropped. "You couldn't have let me have it?" She whined in disbelief. Emiko raised an eyebrow.

"Not a blood bank." Emiko reminded her, a tinge of annoyance in her voice. Chess crossed her arms and pouted.

"Yes, but you'll use your blood to get revenge of Lord Crowley." She threw back. Emiko sent her a scowl.

"He's not actually tasting my blood." Emiko retorted.

"Don't forget that you're tempting a very old, very dangerous vampire." Both Chess and Emiko jumped, turning to see Horn standing in the doorway to the mansion. She was sending them both a disapproving look, but especially Emiko. "Lord Crowley doesn't act it, but he's over a thousand years old, and nearly as powerful as Lord Ferid." Horn reminded her.

"That should mean that he's strong enough to resist the allure of my blood." Emiko replied, but she didn't sound so sure. And she wasn't. Horn's words had troubled her. Emiko had been warned on multiple occasions by Krul and others just how much of an effect the smell of her blood had on vampires. So far, the older ones like Krul, Chess, Horn, and Crowley had all been capable of resisting whenever they smelled it. But was Horn right? Was Emiko testing Crowley's limits?

"Even he's capable of giving into temptation, Emi." Chess warned her, suddenly serious. Emiko looked down. She hadn't thought of that. Emiko bit her lip nervously.

"Maybe I should go back…" Emiko trailed off unsurely. She suddenly felt like she was playing with fire, and she didn't quite like the idea of getting burned. Horn and Chess exchanged a look.

"It's too late." Chess said quietly. "He knows you were in there earlier, and probably has his door locked now." She explained. Emiko sighed in frustration.

"Why didn't he do that after I snuck in the first time?" Emiko asked, and she suddenly felt like pacing. Chess shrugged.

"He didn't think you'd be brave enough to go in there again after your last training session." Emiko felt like pouting again. It was quickly covered by fear though. The situation suddenly became all too real for her. Horn had reminded Emiko just who she was dealing with.

"I…" Emiko trailed off. Suddenly, she took off past the doorway and ran down the halls. "Am definitely running away!" Chess and Horn called after her, but she didn't stop and they didn't follow. She ran all the way to her room, slamming it closed behind her and locking it. She pressed her back against the door, breathing heavily as she thought over what she'd just done. She realized with a sense of dread, that she may have just sealed her fate.

Emiko refused to leave her room for the next forty-eight hours. Both Chess and Horn had come knocking on her door, trying to lure her out in those hours, but nothing worked. Neither of them would break the door down either, because of the fact that Emiko has a tendency to booby trap doors. She'd heard nothing from Crowley, which had brought her hopes up a bit that he was in complete control of his thirst.

Finally, Emiko became too hungry to hide out any longer. She crept out her door, checking the hallways first before she left. When all was clear, Emiko tip-toed down the hall towards the kitchen. She managed to avoid meeting a single vampire her entire way there. Feeling victorious, she walked into the kitchen without being afraid. She walked to the fridge, grabbing some eggs, butter, and cheese. She closed the fridge and placed it on the counter, and then grabbed a bowl from cupboard and cracked three eggs over the side and let the yolks fall inside the bowl. She then added some cheese to the mixture. She turned to the stove, grabbed a frying pan from under it, and set it on the stove. She sprayed non-stick spray on the pan and then put some butter in the pan, and turned the stove on.

She turned back to the counter, and nearly jumped five feet in the air. Crowley stood directly behind her, smiling pleasantly when her eyes met his. She gulped, and started to look for an escape route. Realizing she wouldn't make it two feet without getting tackled, Emiko cleared her throat to speak.

"H-hey Crowley. What brings you here?" She asked nervously. He crossed his arms and leaned back against the counter, watching her with a mixed look of amusement and-Emiko realized with dread-hunger. She took an involuntary step back, and her back hit the edge of the stove. He cocked his head to the side, still watching her.

"I was wondering when you'd finally leave your room." He murmured.

"I got hungry." She answered, voice shaking the tiniest bit. His smile grew into a smirk. He knew she was nervous, and she hated him for it.

"I know the feeling." He answered. Emiko took that as her cue to run. She moved to dart to the right, right past him, but it didn't work out that way. Quick like lightning, he gripped her arm and whirled her around, pushing her against the counter where he used to be standing. The force hurt her back slightly, but it wasn't her main focus. Her eyes were trained on the fangs peeking out of his mouth. He stood directly in front of her, and if she moved even an inch, she would pressed flush against him. She gulped and took a steadying breath.

"Crowley-ah!" Without any warning, he leaned down and sunk his fangs into her neck. She jumped and winced. It stung, but not as bad as she thought it would. She could feel him pulling the blood from her vein, and she would struggle-if she wasn't so sure it would rip the flesh of her neck. Instead, she simply froze up, clutching the counter with her fingers as she tried not to squirm. When black spots started to dance across her vision-she pushed him. He didn't budge, but a few seconds later he pulled back. He stared at her with curious eyes, still akin with hunger. Her blood dribbled down the side of his mouth, and Emiko tried to speak, but found she could get nothing out but a few nonsensical stutters. He didn't say a word-merely continued to stare at her with a mixture of emotions.

Suddenly, Emiko pushed him. Startled by the abrupt movement, he took a few steps back, freeing Emiko from the counter. She stumbled away, clutching onto the wall when she was sure she would fall. She stopped, positive she was about to faint. "I…" She trailed off, unsure of what she was trying to say. She didn't know if she was going to yell at him or ask for help.

Her vision blurred, but instead of the darkness consuming her as she thought it would, instead, it was a memory.

 _She was a little girl again. She stood next to a boy she didn't know. He was in his late teens, but she didn't know exactly how old he was. He had messy dark hair, and wore the uniform of the army. They were walking down the deserted streets of Shibuya, and Emiko was humming to herself as they walked. The boy would look at her every so often, but he didn't say anything for the longest time. Finally, he stopped, and Emiko followed._

" _Is it here?" She asked, her voice much higher than it is now, proving just how young she really is. He glanced at her and nodded._

" _Ready?" He asked. Young Emiko nodded, and walked in front of him. It was silent for a few minutes, until the you could hear the sound of its footsteps. The monstrous being showed itself, moving over ruined buildings and debris. It stopped when it came across Emiko, and then yelled a fierce battle cry. It started towards her, throwing its heavy arms at her. Before it could touch her, Emiko held up a hand, and the being froze inches before it made contact. Lightning flared in the palm of the young Emiko's hand, and she touched her hand to the monster. Lightning covered the frozen beings body, and it twitched and spasmed, until it disappeared into ashes and dust._

 _The young Emiko turned to the boy and shrugged. "It worked."_

Emiko's vision returned to the kitchen. She was still standing, but she was hunched over, clutching onto the fridge for support. Emiko turned to look at Crowley, a haunted look upon Emiko's face. "Get Krul." She muttered and then she lost her balance and fell into oblivion.

...

 **Hey guys, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! We're getting a bit into what Emiko is here, and also moving along her relationship with Crowley. Any guesses yet? Please let me know what you think!**


	9. Chapter 9

When Emiko woke, Crowley was the one looking at her. She scrunched up her eyebrows in confusion and sat up. She was lying in her own bed, the curtains drawn and the door closed. Crowley sat on the edge of her bed, and he had a book in his hand-he'd been waiting for her to wake up.

"What?" She asked. He snapped his book shut, and turned to face her fully.

"Explain to me what happened earlier." He said seriously. There was no humor or amusement on his face or in his voice. Emiko looked down at her hands, and for once, she was at a loss of what to say. She didn't even want to say anything at all. She really just wanted to go back to bed.

"You bit me?" Hey, she could at least fall back on sass as a support. A grin threatened to quirk up the side of his lips, but he forced it back down. He leaned forward.

"And I'll bite you again if you don't explain." His voice was, as usual, pleasant, but the threat was clear. Emiko really didn't want to bitten again. She sighed, pushing her hair out of her face and tried to put it in order in her head. Finally, she spoke.

"I'm not sure...my emotions were too strong, I think it brought on a memory. A strange memory…" She trailed off. She shook her head, and she still couldn't find a way to put the memory into words. Crowley seemed to understand this, because he didn't say anything. She sighed. "I was younger, but it was after the epidemic. Me and this teenage boy...we were walking down one of the streets of Shibuya. I don't remember everything we said to each other, but we stopped and one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse...he came towards us. He moved to attack me but...somehow...I stopped him. Froze him in spot. Then, there was like...electricity or lightning and it flared up in my palm and when I touched it to the monster, it turned into ash." Emiko shook her head. "I don't understand...I didn't have Mirai with me at the time. How could I have…?" Emiko's thoughts were racing and she fell back on her pillow. It was too much.

"Perhaps we should ask the demon inside of you." Emiko's eyes snapped to Crowley's.

"How did you know?" She asked, suddenly alarmed. This time, he did grin.

"You let that piece of information loose in one of your temper tantrums earlier on." He explained. Emiko frowned. "Perhaps if we gave Mirai a chance to be in control, she could answer some questions." Emiko scowled, more mad at herself than him for her slip up. Emiko stood, suddenly feeling the urge to pace.

"Are you crazy? Give the demon control?" Emiko asked in disbelief. She stopped pacing abruptly and turned to face him. He was standing now, watching her with arms crossed and an easy-going expression."I won't. She's dangerous." Crowley leaned closer, until their faces were inches apart.

"But she's also knowledgeable." Emiko sighed and moved back. "She remembers everything that's happened to you." Emiko bit her lip nervously. He was doing a good job of convincing her, and she hated him for it. Emiko shook her head stubbornly.

"No." She affirmed. "I won't. I'll remember eventually." She stood and moved towards the dresser, starting to pick out a pair of clothes. She turned to look at Crowley when he didn't leave. "Did you tell Krul?" She asked. He stood and nodded.

"She arrived yesterday night. It seems you missed an appointment with the doctors. I told her then." Emiko winced. She'd forgotten about that. Krul was probably not happy with her.

"Did you tell her you bit me?" She asked flatly. She still was pretty angry about that. Even if she hadn't yelled at him or got back at him yet, she totally planned to.

"After I told her about your little prank, yes." Emiko winced again. Yep, she'd figured that would be the case. Crowley would throw her under the bus to cover his own tracks. Typical. Emiko whirled around and glared at him.

"I was bound to retaliate after what you did that morning." Emiko snapped back. Crowley's eyes lit up, realizing that he was in for a fight.

"Could I not say the same?" He responded, pleasantly calm. Emiko was getting frustrated. At every retort, he could counteract it. She crossed her arms and huffed in annoyance.

"You're a thousand years old, I'm seventeen. Which one of us should be more mature?" She pointed out, having nothing else to respond with. He chuckled at that and moved towards the door.

"Krul is expecting you in the lab in a half hour." Emiko waved him off and he laughed again as he laughed. Emiko sighed as she looked over the clothes in her dresser. Most of her cute clothes were dirty. Yes, Emiko did her own laundry. She wouldn't dare give the staff here the chance to ruin her clothes. Knowing how much they hated her, they would do it on purpose. She looked to her laundry basket, thinking over whether she would dare dig through it, and then shook her head. You couldn't get away with that in a house full of vampires.

She grabbed a pair of black jeans and a midnight blue tank top. They would be drawing blood and doing tests, so it was best to leave her arms bare. She hurried into the bathroom, took a quick shower, and got changed. She only had time left to do the bare essentials in the bathroom before she had to leave for the lab. She pulled on some black flats and hurried out of the room and towards the labs.

Krul met her halfway there. She was walking down the hall towards her, probably coming to look for Emiko herself. Emiko grinned when she saw Krul, and followed the normal procedure when seeing her; she ran to hug her. Krul did her normal as well; she dodged her and let Emiko face plant.

Emiko groaned in pain, and sat up. She rubbed her chin and glared up at Krul. "Not nice." Emiko glowered. Krul raised a questioning eyebrow. She kneeled down next to her, and pat her stinging cheek.

"You're getting predictable." Krul answered. Emiko pouted. Then, she smiled, and stood up, bouncing on her heels.

"Well then, I'll work on my approach." Both of them smirked playfully at that. Emiko wrapped her arms around Krul, hugging the shorter girl. Krul rolled her eyes, but allowed the younger girl to hug onto her. Emiko pulled back and the two started towards the labs.

"Crowley told me of your...episode." Krul said. Emiko shrugged.

"Didn't he also tell you he bit me?" Emiko all but growled. Krul eyed Emiko from the corner of her eye.

"We both knew it would happen at some point." Krul answered. Emiko stopped walking. She stared at Krul strangely, and she didn't know if she was angry or disappointed.

"I didn't." Emiko answered coolly. "How many times do I have to say it? I'm not a blood bag." Krul sighed.

"I know you're not." She responded. "No other vampires sees you the same way I do though." They started walking again.

"Why?" Emiko asked, sounding almost desperate.

"Because you're human." Krul answered simply. "It doesn't matter how great your skills as a fighter are, or how talented as a musician you are. You're human. No vampire will ever see you as anything else." Emiko wanted to pull her hair out at Krul's honesty. It drove her crazy that vampires saw her as a meal, and not for who she is or what she has accomplished.

"You said that some vampires respected me." Emiko pointed out. Krul smiled slightly, and they took a turn down another hallway.

"Crowley respects your talent." She explained. "No matter what he may say or do, he believes you are a very capable fighter, for a human. He respects that. Chess and Horn respect your attitude. Ferid respects what you can offer him. None of them actually respect you as a person."

"And you?" Emiko asked questioningly. Krul stopped walking, and Emiko stopped with her, watching her gaze carefully. "Do you respect me as a person?" Emiko asked. Krul started walking again.

"I can't answer that." Krul said calmly. "You know that." Emiko huffed.

"Why not?" Emiko grabbed Krul's arm, stopping her. Krul frowned at her.

"Because I am queen of vampires in Japan. I cannot respect humans. Not when my subjects don't, and not when my superiors don't either. If the council knew about you, I would be ordered to turn you or kill you." Emiko didn't like the sound of that.

Emiko wanted to argue further, but they arrived at the labs at that moment. Emiko walked in to find the doctor already setting everything up. She took a seat in the chair, and waited for this to be over with.

….

After an hour of i.v.'s, and shots, Emiko's arm hurt. Her head hurt too, but that was for a different reason. Emiko hated being serious; but her talk with Krul had forced her to be. In fact, this entire week had forced Emiko to be serious. There was nothing she hated more.

Emiko refused to talk to Krul afterwards and hurriedly left the lab. After changing she headed straight for the gym, and set up the punching bag. She pulled on her pink boxing gloves (Chess had gotten them for her when Emiko refused to wear the drab gray ones) and started to take all of her anger out on the punching bag.

When she couldn't feel her arms, she finally quit. She realized she probably should've gone a bit easy on her arm today, but she was too angry to care. She threw her gloves onto the floor and headed for the exit, when she saw Krul watching at the door. "I thought you left already?" Emiko said flatly. Krul raised a questioning eyebrow at Emiko's tone.

"I wanted to get a chance to talk to you about your memory. We didn't have a chance earlier." Emiko rolled her eyes.

"I'm not going to share something so important with someone who sees me as lesser." Emiko refuted. She moved to shove past Krul, but she grabbed her shoulder, and spun her around.

"You told Crowley." Krul answered softly, but her eyes showed she was irritated with Emiko's attitude.

"He threatened me. I had no choice." Emiko answered. Krul's eyes narrowed.

"I could easily do the same." Krul reminded her,scowling at Emiko. Emiko's gaze never wavered as she stared at Krul.

"Go ahead." Emiko prompted. "Threaten me. Treat me as lesser. Watch how fast I'll be out of here." Krul didn't say anything for the longest time, watching Emiko with an unreadable expression.

"You'd leave?" Krul asked quietly. Emiko was so stunned by her response, that she laughed aloud. It was not a happy or nice laugh.

"You're really asking me that? Krul, I'm not a vampire, and I'm not your subject. I followed you because I respect you, because I trusted you. But how can I trust someone who doesn't even see me as an equal? I'm not your secret weapon, Krul. I'm not your 'pet'. I stayed here because you said it was for the best. I _hate_ living here!" Emiko started shouting, tears stinging her eyes. Krul didn't say anything, so Emiko continued. "You're right, Crowley treats me like some menace, a blood bag he's dying to try, or some form of entertainment. Not as a person. Sure as hell not as anything with feelings. Chess and Horn only view me as entertainment too. Ferid and I dance around each other like vipers, and you and I pretend to be friends when we're not! What do you want from me?" Krul watched Emiko closely. Emiko couldn't read the emotions on her face.

"There are some things I can't tell you, Emi." Krul said lowly, as if worried someone would hear. "But trust that I mean you no harm. Trust that I don't see you as lesser. I cannot admit it in the open though." She whispered. Emiko stared at Krul's face for the longest time, trying to decide whether she believed her or not. Finally, her expression softened, and she nodded.

"Okay. I believe you." Emiko responded. Krul nodded.

"Good. Now, tell me about your memory." Emiko did. She gave her every last detail she could remember, and Krul stood there, nodding along.

"Do you think you could do it again?" Krul asked. Emiko frowned, and then shrugged.

"I don't know. I haven't tried." Emiko answered unsurely. Krul nodded her head towards the punching bag. Emiko gave her an unsure glance, and then headed for the punching bag. She stuck her finger out towards the bag, pressing it into it softly. Nothing happened. Emiko focused her attention, visualizing the energy sizzling in her fingertip. For a moment, she though she felt it tingle, but nothing happened. She sighed and turned to Krul and shrugged.

"There's nothing to worry about." Krul said when she returned to her. "I'll look into it, but I'll need your help." Emiko motioned for her to specify. "The humans have another underground base. This base, we believe, holds records. They may have records about you." Emiko flinched at that. Records on who she is, or records on what she is? She wasn't sure she wanted to know.

…..

Trying to channel the lightning became an integral part of Emiko's training. She spent hours every week staring at a pillow, trying to turn it into ash. It never worked, not once. When she got irritated, she turned to the punching bag.

Crowley hadn't trained with her all week. Lacus or Rene had been training her, and they seemed to find Emiko's growing frustration hilarious. Well, Lacus did. Rene would smirk any time she threw a snappy retort at him, but then he'd make some insulting comment that just pissed her off more. She preferred Rene; at least he was honest about his thoughts on her.

When she wasn't training, she tried to keep herself calm by playing the harp, or watching western movies. Occasionally, she would design clothes and make them, but that required being around Horn, which she didn't want to do. She didn't want to be around any of them. Emiko was tired of playing pretend. She trusted Krul, or as much as she could trust her, but these other vampires couldn't be trusted. Not even the ones she liked. As long as she was a human, they would never treat her right.

When the time came for Emiko to infiltrate the army base, She had dressed herself in all black and pulled her hair into a messy bun atop her head. She had her guns strapped to her thighs, her whip situated at her hip, and a knife hidden in her boot. She didn't want a repeat of last time.

Surprisingly, Crowley met her at the door to the mansion. He handed her the microphone and she took it wordlessly and placed it on her neck. She also took the earpiece from him and placed it around her ear. "Anything else?" She asked coldly. He narrowed his eyes on her, studying her expression.

"What's with the sudden change in attitude this week? Krul upset you again?" He asked. Emiko scowled.

"Get bent." With that, Emiko walked away. Surprisingly, he let her. Crowley didn't usually like to let Emiko have the last word. Even if she did, it usually just left her feeling even more upset. Not today though; today, she felt pretty proud of herself. Mostly because he probably had no idea what 'get bent' meant, and she was pretty happy about that. Who knows what he would have said if she'd told him to flat out go fuck himself. That might have been an awkward conversation, considering Crowley's sense of humor.

Rene and Lacus met her halfway to the base, and gave her the gameplan; sneak in, get the records, get out. It was pretty simple. They waited about a mile out, and Emiko scooped the place out. One entrance, one exit, and it was guarded by three soldiers. She sighed. That made things more difficult. She would have to do this quick. She watched them around the corner, and then tossed a rock in the opposite direction. It immediately drew their attention, and Emiko took that time to attack. She didn't draw any of her weapons as she punched one in the temple, instantly knocking him out. She turned to the next, who were now waiting for her. One of them threw a punch and Emiko dodged, and then also dodged a swipe of a sword. She knocked out the one who hadn't pulled a weapon first, kicking him hard. Then, she turned to the one with a sword. She watched him, and found that he wouldn't be any trouble. He waved the sword around recklessly. She easily got past his defenses, knocked the sword out of his hand, and swiftly punched his lights out.

"Ow," Emiko said, as she wrung her fist out. No matter whether it was a vampire or a human, punching people hurt. She grabbed her gun, and shot the lock on the gate. She pushed open the gate. It seemed the hallway was empty. She shrugged and started down the hallway. You could hear the sound of her shoes hitting the concrete as she walked, and she wondered in the echo would bring anyone running. Strangely, it didn't.

She was beginning to wonder why that was, when she figured it out. She turned down a new hallway, and was immediately met with over a dozen soldiers, all pointing guns at Emiko. She froze, and was lost as what to do. She was tough, but she wasn't capable of getting out of a dozen guns pointed straight at her. She sighed, and held her hands up in surrender. They watched her cautiously for several seconds, before one of them approached carefully. He grabbed her guns and her whip and threw them back at the others. One of them soldiers caught them, and immediately ran in the opposite direction. Seems they had been expecting a fight from her. When they brought out the handcuffs, Emiko started laughing.

"Seriously?" She asked. They all shared looks, and then turned back and nodded at her. With a huff of annoyance, Emiko turned and allowed them to place the cuffs around her wrists. Then, they continued by leading her down the hallway by the cuffs. She was flanked by them, and not once did they drop their weapons against her. She had a feeling this was going to be a bit difficult to get out of. "You know, the vampires know exactly where I am. When I don't come back, they'll be coming here." She informed them haughtily. None of them responded, and instead pushed her into an empty cell. The force of the push caught Emiko off guard, and she stumbled and fell. She growled in frustration, and turned around. She was fully prepared to scream at them, but they had already closed the door and left.

"This isn't good." She muttered to herself, and began to pace. She tried to activate her curse, but all it did was float around helplessly. Seems they'd used a new material that her powers couldn't break down. She was absolutely livid. At least she still had her knife. "Lacus? Rene?" She asked quietly. They didn't respond for several seconds, but then Rene answered.

"We've already informed Lord Crowley." He explained. Emiko nodded, and continued to observe the material keeping her locked in here. Though her curse continued to be unuseful in getting out, it did break the cuffs off of her wrists.

"Great. I'm sure he'll rush right over to save me." Emiko stated sarcastically.

"Don't be a brat." Lacus chimed in.

"Lacus," She said coldly. "I may be locked in a prison cell right now, but when I get out, I am stuffing my used tampons in your pillowcase!" She shrieked. Their was silence over the earpiece.

"That's disgusting." Lacus groaned. Emiko nodded my agreement.

"Exactly. So, if you know what's good for you, you will get me out of here!" She yelled, stomping her foot angrily. She was ready to have a full blown temper tantrum mixed with a full blown panic attack and that would not equal anything good for anyone.

"Okay, okay!" Lacus yelled back. "We're working on it, just don't tell anyone anything!" Emiko sighed in frustration. She looked around the room, still looking for an escape. She froze when she heard the sound of footsteps. Oh no. She quickly looked for a place to hide, only to realize, again, that she was a in a prison cell and there was nowhere to hide. She did the only thing she could do; she pressed up against the wall and put her hands over her eyes. The footsteps stopped right outside the cell.

"You know, you sucked at hide and seek when we were kids, and you still suck at it now." The voice sounded familiar; it was cynical and sarcastic, with a tinge of narcissism. Emiko peaked at him through her fingers.

"You!" She yelled, jumping back at the sight of him. It was the boy from her memory. Except, he was older. And looked slightly more cynical. Emiko regarded him with a mixture of outrage and curiosity. He quirked an eyebrow.

"You remember me?" He asked.

"Not at all! Well, okay, I did have one memory of you, but it's a weird one and I don't know you and get me out of this prison cell you random stranger! There is a demon sharing my body and I am not afraid to let her loose! Wait, that sounded slightly sexual, you better not take that sexually you pervert!" Emiko was breathing heavily by the end of rant. The man outside the cell was watching with an amused smirk, and it reminded her far too much of Crowley. She instantly wanted to punch him.

"Huh. Well, I remember you. Emiko Adalene Matsuri. You're sixteen, you're blood type is A-, and your favorite color is rose pink." Emiko scowled at him. He knew more about her than she knew about herself-that was extremely annoying.

"Well, you're wrong about my favorite color. It's now mint green." She replied haughtily.

"You're lying." He answered. Emiko glared at him defiantly.

"Why do you think so?" She asked.

"Because you scrunch up your nose when you lie." She officially hated him.

"So you know who I am. Who are you?" She asked, hoping to change the topic. By the look in his eyes, he caught onto that, but he said nothing about it.

"My name is Guren Ichinose. You were like my little sister, before this whole mess started." She regarded him closely. Little sister, eh? She wasn't sure she believed that. What big brother would lock his sister in a prison cell?

"Yeah, I believe that." She responded sarcastically. "Listen, if you're my 'brother', then why don't you let me out of this cell and I'll get out of your hair." She offered. He laughed and shook his head.

"Sorry, Em. It's not gonna happen. You're working for the leeches now, and you have valuable information I need." Emiko crossed her arms and huffed in annoyance.

"How about this, you let me out and I won't destroy this entire building with my electric shock." She sounded smug now, thinking she had caught him. From the look on Guren's face, she hadn't.

"If you could that, you already would have." He pointed out. Emiko cursed under her breath.

"Listen you jackass, I've had a rough week, okay? That bastard Crowley bit me, I have no idea who to trust, and I'm surrounded by bloodsucking vampires who see me as a blood bag or some freaking toy! I still can't remember everything, and now I learn that I have some freaky psycho powers over lightning! Let me out of this cell you retard!" She yelled, and jumped up and hit the floor with her feet harshly. She wanted to punch the wall, but she wasn't quite that angry yet.

"If you don't know who to trust, why not come back to us, Emiko? We miss you." His gaze softened slightly. "Shinoa hasn't been the same since you left. She misses you. Come back to us." Guren hadn't seen the change whilst speaking.

"Ugh." She said in disgust, scrunching up her face. Red eyes narrowed at him hatefully, and she threw her white locks over her shoulder in annoyance. "You." She said, voice full of scorn and hate. Guren's eyes narrowed at her, and he took a more defensive stance.

"Mirai-onna." He stated simply. Her lips quirked up in a smirk. "I thought maybe you were dormant unless provoked. Consider me shocked." She rolled her eyes, and started to pace. Her eyes were scanning the cell for a weak point, any way she could escape.

"Oh please, as if that stupid girl really has much as control as she thinks she does. I just don't care to take part in human affairs all that often. It's much more fun to watch her mess things up." She said flippantly. Guren regarded her closely.

"How are you enjoying your stay in that body?" He asked curiously. Mirai's eyes narrowed.

"It's not exactly the most desirable host but it works. Emiko is naive and easily manipulated. As you know." She added coldly. Something flashed through Guren's eyes, but it was gone too quick to guess what it was. "Let me out of here." Mirai ordered softly. She approached the edge of the wall keeping her in, and placed a hand against it.

"Why would I do that?" He asked, crossing his arms. Mirai smirked.

"Because a very powerful vampire is standing behind you and if I don't stop him, he'll kill you." Guren didn't have a chance to turn around as Crowley threw him into the wall. Mirai regarded him as coldly as she had Guren, but with more expectation. "Let me out now." She ordered. Crowley sent her a glance, and then smirked.

"Maybe I want to kill the human before I let you out, so you can't stop me." He responded. Mirai rolled her eyes.

"Crowley," She warned, but he was already walking up to the wall. He had seemingly grabbed a key from Guren whilst throwing him into a wall, and lined it up with the keypad. The wall opened up to let Emiko out. Mirai stepped out, and turned to look at Guren. "Defeated so easily." She snarled. Guren coughed and looked up at her.

"See you again soon, Em." He coughed. Mirai kicked him, forcing him unconscious. She turned to walk out the door, but then stopped. She turned to look at Crowley.

"I'm surprised. I thought you would send one of your lackeys." Mirai wondered curiously.

"Krul would kill me if anything happened to you." Crowley answered, but he was regarding Mirai with a look of caution. There weren't many things in this world that made Crowley feel like he needed to be on guard, but Mira-onna was one of the few exceptions. She radiated power. Mirai scoffed, and walked past him.

"Oh please." She muttered. Crowley gave the demon a strange look.

"Pray tell." He asked at her comment. Mirai stopped, and turned to face him. She watched him with curious eyes.

"Emiko may not notice, but I do." She answered haughtily.

"Notice what?" He asked, humoring her. Mirai cracked a malicious grin, and walked towards him, stopping when she stood only a foot away.

"You want her." She stated simply. Crowley's eyes narrowed, but he let her continue. "Perhaps you haven't even realized it yourself. Of course, I expected a vampire as old as you wouldn't be so oblivious to their own desires. The way you watch her, look at her. It's so obvious, I'm sure even Chess has realized it by now." She said with a small laugh at the end. The two started walking, leaving the prison cells behind.

"I admit, her blood is desirable-"

"Not just her blood." Mirai interrupted, sending him an amused glance.

"Why would I want a human?" Crowley asked, smirking in amusement. Mirai shrugged.

"Humans and vampires are not so different. Do yourself a favor, Crowley." Mirai stopped, and stood in front of him. Her eyes were serious now, and Crowley didn't know what to make of the change in attitude. "Don't get involved. Emiko is far more than some simple human, and if you continue to view her as such, she'll be the end of you."

...

 **Well, there you go. Hope you enjoyed. Mirai has revealed quite a bit of information to Crowley, but don't assume she's done it with good intentions. Out of everyone, Mirai understands and knows the most about Emiko, so expect for Mirai to have her own motives for doing what she does.**

 **Also, if it feels a little early for Crowley's 'feelings' to be out in the open, trust me, I know. The problem is, Mirai is ancient, and she notices things long before anyone else does. She knew telling Crowley this would confuse him, and that's why she did it. Furthermore, you might've noticed Crowley is a bit different from how he is in the show or manga. This is because we don't get to see the many different sides of Crowley, because he's not a main character. Honestly, I'm not going to pretend that Crowley is this character who doesn't get confused or knows everything and blah de blah. He may be old, but he's not perfect, and I'm not going to pretend he is for the sake of fan-service.**

 **Thanks for reading, and listening to my long rants! I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I have the next chapter pretty much outlined, so it shouldn't be super long before the next one is out. I think you guys may like the next chapter. It's lighter than most chapters will be, but I will be adding in some information for furthering the storyline as well.**


	10. Chapter 10

Emiko was excited. She danced through the halls of the mansion happily, humming 'deck the halls' beneath her breath. Christmas was her favorite time of the year, and she'd just seen a calendar; it was the 23rd of December. Apparently, vampires didn't celebrate christmas, but Emiko wasn't going to let that stop her. She had plans.

"What are you doing?" Horn stopped her, when she caught Emiko pulling on a heavy winter coat. Emiko turned and grinned at her,and Horn knew then that she was up to something.

"I'm heading to Akihabara. I've got to get some supplies to start decorating for christmas!" Emiko squealed happily. Horn narrowed her eyes, and crossed her arms.

"Did Lord Crowley agree to this?" She asked suspiciously. Emiko waved her concerns off.

"Crowley doesn't get a say. I'm decorating for christmas, and if he doesn't like it, then he can get coal for christmas." Horn realized there was no talking Emiko out of this. With a sigh, she told Emiko to wait for her so they could go together. The last thing they needed was Emiko getting captured again. Krul had been furious when she had found out, and had threatened to pull Emiko out of Crowley's care. Ever since then, Crowley had ordered Chess and Horn to keep a better watch over Emiko, and to up her training.

Horn and Emiko left after Horn grabbed a coat (like she needed one), and headed to Akihabara. Luckily, any humans in the city were stragglers and not a part of the militia. They all ran and hid from Emiko and Horn the second they saw them, which was fine. Horn had no interest in the humans. Emiko pulled Horn into a large superstore, and forced to Horn to push the grocery cart around whilst she filled it with candles, colored paper, glitter, markers, plastic leaves, and all sorts of things. It took over an hour to gather all of the supplies, and took two grocery carts to carry everything.

When they arrived back at the house, Emiko got straight to work. Cutting out designs on green and red paper, making wreaths out of the plastic flowers, crafting and creating every kind of christmas decoration she could. However, after the house was completely decorated, Horn realized Emiko still had another cart full of supplies. "What's that for?" Horn asked curiously. Emiko grinned mischievously.

"Well, when I realized it was Christmas time, I also realized that the kids in the city hadn't had a proper christmas celebration since the beginning of the takeover. So, I'm going to Decorate a part of the town and have a party! I'm going to return to the superstore in a little bit to gather presents, and then I'm going to bribe Lacus into cutting down a tree! We have a lot of work to do in two days, so I need you to start assigning jobs! Oh! Make sure the kitchens prepare food too!"

"Who authorized this?" Horn asked calmly. Emiko grinned brighter.

"I did!" Emiko cheered. "Oh, and don't worry, you, Crowley, and Chess will all be getting presents as well! Even Mika, Lacus, and Rene too!" Horn wanted to object, but even she wasn't capable of ruining this for Emiko, no matter how cold she could act. She sighed.

"I'll help you." Horn said cautiously. Emiko's grin grew, but Horn held up a hand. "But you need to get Lord Crowley's permission first. It is his staff you are putting to use. You also need to inform Queen Krul and the city guards." She explained. Emiko nodded, nearly jumping up and down in spot. Horn couldn't help it; she smiled at her excitement. Despite what anyone might believe, Horn and Chess truly adored Emiko. Even though she was a human, she made things interesting, and always managed to entertain them. It was hard to dishearten her at anything.

"Okay, okay, I will! But I really need you to get started on things! Could you get Chess on board, and get Lacus and Rene to tell the city guards my plan? I'll make sure to Crowley's and Krul's permission." She promised. Horn sighed, and nodded.

Emiko took off down the hall, heading straight for Crowley's office. She knew he might not be on board in the beginning, but she was confident she could convince him. She didn't even knock as she entered the room. Crowley sat behind his desk, looking over reports, as usual. He looked up when he heard Emiko enter, and instantly realized something was up when he took a look at her face. "Can I have a christmas party for the kids in Sanguinem and use the staff to help me?" She asked bluntly.

"No." Crowley answered without a second thought. Emiko frowned.

"Please?" She asked.

"No." He answered again. Emiko pouted.

"Okay, name your price." She said. He looked up at her, raising an eyebrow in question. "What do you want in exchange?" She asked. "I'll let you talk to Mirai." She offered. Crowley leaned forward, setting his chin on the palm of his hand, watching her with a grin.

"Your blood." He stated. Emiko's eyes narrowed.

"That's not on the table." She answered. He shrugged.

"No party then." He responded dismissively. Emiko glared at him for several long seconds, contemplating what he said.

"If I give you my blood, you'll give me full control over the staff?" She asked unsurely. He nodded, grin growing.

"One drink, and they are all yours till the party." Emiko hated the idea of letting him drink her blood again. It wasn't exactly pleasant the first time, and she didn't like being treated like a meal. However, this party was important to Emiko. Not just because she desperately wanted to lift the spirits of these kids, but also because she needed her own spirit lifted. That conversation with that boy from the army had been on Emiko's mind ever since it happened, as well as other things. She didn't know what Mirai and Crowley had talked about when Mirai had taken over, but Crowley had been acting different. Not in a extremely overt way, but subtly. He ignored her more often, and didn't tease her as much. He seemed to want to avoid being in her presence.

"Fine." Emiko agreed begrudgingly. "Let me go grab a glass-"

"From the neck." He added. Emiko narrowed her eyes at him. He smiled coyly. She scowled, but moved the hair from her neck, giving him free access.

"I hate you." She mumbled. He laughed and approached. He wasted no time in sinking his fangs into her neck. She winced at the pain, but it wasn't as bad as last time. It was over within a minute, and no black dots danced across her vision. Although she felt a little woozy, she could still stand straight, and she was thankful for that. He licked his lips as he pulled back, looking extremely pleased with himself. She wanted to punch him, but she feared he'd revoke her privileges of controlling the staff.

"They're all yours." He stated simply, and returned to his desk. Emiko didn't waste any time in leaving after that, though she walked instead of ran. She headed to the kitchens, and found that staff were already awaiting her orders.

"Alright, we're making food for all of the children in Sanguinem, so you've got to get started right away. I want ham, turkey, chicken, mashed potatoes, stuffing, bread rolls, and cranberry sauce, all in large quantities. I do not want one kid leaving this party without a full stomach. For dessert, I want christmas cookies, chocolate cake, caramel corn, cinnamon buns, and pumpkin pie. Do not disappoint me!" After she got the kitchen staff working, she headed out into the city to Krul's castle. She walked right in and headed straight for the throne room, walking in without any notice. Krul sat boredly on her throne, but perked up when she saw Emiko.

"Krul, I want to throw a party!" Emiko called out bluntly. Krul raised an eyebrow.

"You do?" She asked. Emiko nodded. "For the kids, for christmas. I already have Crowley's kitchen staff getting ready for it, and I've bought supplies for decorations, and I'm going to go back into Akihabara to get presents, and-"

"No." Krul answered. Emiko pouted once more.

"Why are you and Crowley such debbie downers? What's wrong with a party?" Emiko asked.

"The other vampires in the city will wonder why I'm allowing such a thing. They'll think I've grown soft." She scoffed. Emiko scoffed back.

"No! Tell them, this is an act of strategy. Say that when the kids get older, they may start to rebel. This is a way to keep them from rebelling. It will also make the kids more willing to go along with Sanguinem laws if you give them something. Being terrible to them all the time will make them feel as if they have nothing to live for, besides maybe fighting vampires. Give them a reason to think vampires aren't all that bad." Krul nodded in contemplation, thinking over what Emiko had said. It actually didn't sound half bad. Although Krul and the other vampires of Sanguinem can handle a human rebellion, they weren't exactly all that thrilled on the prospect of losing human lives. Finally, Krul nodded.

"Fine. You may have this party. Don't let it get out of hand." Krul warned. Emiko nodded excitedly. She rushed out without another word, and headed back to Crowley's mansion. She checked on the kitchen staff, to find them hard at work, albeit a bit begrudgingly; they didn't like being ordered around by her. She then left to meet up with Horn.

"How are things?" She asked.

"I have Lacus and Rene letting the city guards know. Chess is busy on the decorations." Horn informed her. Emiko nodded.

"Does Chess know how to make christmas decorations?" Emiko asked dubiously. Horn scowled.

"We're vampires, not toddlers. We celebrated Christmas once too." Horn reminded her. Emiko shrugged.

"I don't know how long ago that was." Emiko retorted. Horn wanted to object, but she kind of had a point. Horn didn't even remember what Christmas was before Emiko had reminded her. "I'm not leaving Chess in charge of decorations. Get Mika, he'll surely remember what christmas is and how to make decorations. I'm heading back into Akihabara to get presents." Then, she left without another word to her.

Horn called after her, but Emiko didn't respond. Horn sighed; she was supposed to keep watch over her, but it seemed that wasn't happening. When Emiko got an idea in her head, you couldn't do anything to stop her.

Emiko found her way back to the superstore easily, and hurried over to the toy section. She randomly grabbed toys off of the shelves, stuffing them into cart after cart. Emiko didn't know quite how many kids were in Sanguinem, so she just decided to grab all of the toys and hope for the best. She was pretty positive she wouldn't run out of toys. She also headed to the books section and grabbed a ton of books she assumed some of the older kids may like to read. Finally, she headed to the art section. You couldn't go wrong with coloring.

When Emiko returned to the house, she was pushing five carts filled to the brim with toys, art supplies, and books. Mika met her at the door. "All those for the kids?" He asked. Emiko nodded.

"I grabbed everything. I figured I'll let the kids choose what they want. Now, have you started on the decorations?" I asked. He sighed and nodded.

"Unfortunately, your deal with Crowley extends to me, and Krul told me I couldn't get out of it. So yes, I've started on the decorations." He said grudgingly. Emiko grinned.

"I knew you'd help. Alright, I'm going to make some flyers to put up around the city." She sang and hurried to her room. She started on the flyers, using as much artistic ability as she could to make them presentable. It was dark by the time she'd finished, but she didn't let that derail her. She hurried towards the door, grabbing a jacket on her way out.

"Where are you going?" Horn asked, watching Emi with narrowed eyes. She grinned back at her.

"I finished the flyers! I'm going to go hang them around the city now." She explained.

"Emiko, it's past curfew. One of the city guards could mistake you as one of the livestock and punish you or feed off of you." Horn frowned. Emiko scowled.

"But I'm not wearing the uniform. Plus, I'm pretty sure I could take on a city guard." She pointed out arrogantly. Horn shook her head and sighed.

"Emiko, you're human. That's enough for them to take advantage of." Emiko waved her off.

"Then come with me." Horn had no choice. Emiko was too stubborn for her own good. The two of them set out into the city, and she started hanging the flyers around town. Occasionally, Emiko would run into a kid who was scurrying to get back. They would be scared out of their mind, thinking that Emiko was a vampire. However, Emiko would merely smile at them and hand them a flyer and tell them about the party. They were still frightened, but eventually they would realize Emiko was human. They tended to keep as far away from Horn as possible though.

When Emiko finished hanging and handing out flyers, Horn and her started on the way back. "Are you going to play music at the party?" Horn asked. Emiko nodded.

"Yes, but I don't know what. I was thinking the violin, as it's easy to move, but I have some really pretty songs on the harp. I haven't decided." Emiko said as if it were a giant dilemma. Horn laughed. It caught Emiko by surprise, as Horn was always so refined and sophisticated. She didn't think she'd ever heard Horn laugh out loud.

"What's so funny?" Emiko asked with a goofy grin.

"You are." Horn admitted in amusement. "You're so very different from many humans I've met." She answered. Emiko shrugged.

"Humans and Vampires really aren't all that different, once you get passed the physical stuff. I think we could get along, if vampires would respect humans, and humans vice versa." Emiko responded. Horn frowned.

"I don't think so. We're too different in too many ways." Emiko bit her lip and sighed.

"You get along with me, even though we're extremely different." Emiko pointed out stubbornly. Horn sighed, and smiled lightly at Emiko.

"I admire your optimism, Emi, but I'm afraid there is too much between humans and vampires. Neither side is willing to accept the other, that's just the way it works. Vampires feed on humans. Humans are used to being the top of the food chain. Nothing will change that. Still, I'm glad at least we can get along. You've proven that not all humans are the same." Emiko grinned brightly at Horn's compliment. It seemed she was finally opening up to Emi, like she'd hoped.

"I'm happy then! I'm glad we're friends. I want to thank you, Horn, for never treating me like a meal." Horn nodded.

"Of course. Besides, I had a feeling the moment we met you were the kind of human that bites back." Horn teased. The two laughed, and truly, for once, Emiko felt like she had a real friend here.

….

Everything was set up for the party. Tables were filled to the brim with food and treats, the plaza hosting the event covered in beautiful decorations, thanks to Mika's crafting skills. The children were happy; running around and playing. Some of them were still cautious, of course, seeing as the party was being guarded by city guards in the background. The kitchen staff from Crowley's were here, serving the food with smiles. Emiko had threatened to get them in trouble with Crowley if they weren't nice. They actually believed she held enough sway with him to do that. She honestly couldn't believe her luck.

Emi had brought her violin, and was playing christmas songs. The kids danced, laughed, and played, thoroughly enjoying the party. Emi had Mika regulating the presents, making sure each kid got to pick a present. It lifted Emiko's spirits to see so much happiness and joy on the kid's faces. Eventually, Emiko handed her violin over to Chess, and asked her to play an upbeat song.

Emiko clapped her hands, catching the kids attention. "Okay, I'm going to teach you all a dance." She had all the kids hold hands, and and when Chess started playing, they moved around the circle, a small skip as they jumped. Eventually, Emiko showed them the arm movements, and then had the kids stand side by side and opposite each other, holding their hands up so the other kids could run through. They laughed and clapped, and this was the happiest they had all felt in a long time.

Unfortunately, the night had to come to an end. It went on as long as possible, they were still kids, and kids got tired. Emiko made sure they each went home with a cinnamon bun. Once the kids cleared out, they got started on cleaning up. It wasn't a big mess, and it took only a little time with the staff still helping out.

Once that was finished, Emiko grabbed her bag, and headed towards Chess and Horn. "Present time!" Emiko sang. Both looked up at Emiko in surprise.

"We get presents?" Chess asked excitedly. Emiko nodded.

"Yep! And I think you'll like them. Here!" Emiko pulled the articles of clothing out of her bag, and handed one to each of them. They were beautifully made dresses. Horn's was pink,and Chess' was dark blue. They were exactly their style.

"It's beautiful." Horn said gratefully. Chess jumped Emiko, wrapping her arms around her and spinning her around.

"I love it! It's soo cute!" Chess gushed. Emiko grinned, though felt a bit dizzy after Chess' outburst. Is that how Krul felt after Emiko's exuberant greetings? She wondered.

"Ah! Lacus, Rene, Mika! Don't leave yet, I have presents for you as well!" Emiko jumped over to them.

"What is this?" Rene asked, looking over the pieces of paper. Emiko shrugged.

"I didn't know what to get you guys, so I made you 'Emiko leave me alone' coupons." They actually seemed to like them. There were plenty of times when each of them would use these coupons, that was for sure.

Emiko turned back to Horn and Chess. "I also have presents for Krul, Ferid, and Crowley. I'll have to deliver Krul's and Ferid's tomorrow though." Emiko said with a frown.

"What did you get Crowley?" Chess asked enthusiastically, a glint in her eyes that both confused and frightened Emi.

"Not telling." Emiko sang, because she really, really didn't want them to know.

…

Crowley returned to his room late that night, after a load of paperwork. Everyone else had already gone to bed, even with Emiko's party going late. He opened the door, and flipped the light switch. He moved to change into a pair of sweatpants, and headed towards the bed. Lying across his pillow, was a box, with a letter on top.

Curiously, he opened the letter. Emiko's messy handwriting covered the paper.

Dear Crowley,

I just wanted to let you know, that you're a total jerk, and for the most part, I hate you. However, you really did me a favor the other day coming to my rescue. So, thank you for saving me. Just know, that I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself, and will not be asking you to do that again. Also, since it is Christmas, and you have helped me as much as you've infuriated me, I figured I'd get you a present too. Don't get too used to it. Also, if you tell anyone, I'll totally deny it and ignore you forever. Merry Christmas!

With much loathing,

Emiko

Amused and curious, Crowley opened the box. Inside, sat a small vial filled to the brim with Emiko's blood.

...

 **So, some of you probably really liked this chapter. Some of you probably hated it. That's alright. It's sort of a filler chapter, but also not, because some relationships do develop, as well as some plot line, but mostly the story just needed something light before next chapter. Trust me, it's dark. I'm about halfway through it, and some things are going to be changing quite a bit. You will be seeing a new side of Emiko, and you may not like it.**

 **Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter, and please review and let me know what you think! Also, thanks for all those who are reviewing and sending me their comments, they always make me smile and want to write faster! Thank you!**


	11. Chapter 11

Waking up in the middle of the night with night terrors wasn't unusual for Emiko. It happened every night, actually. It seems her darkest memories enjoyed revealing themselves at the times Emiko was weakest.

Waking up screaming, with deep cuts up and down her arms was very unusual, and extremely unwelcome. Sweat dripped down her forehead as she sat up in the dark, her eyes unable to see the wound, but able to feel them, and able to feel the blood dripping down her arms. She gasped for air, the pain great, and her shock and confusion high. She stumbled off of the bed, and hurried to the door, flicking the light switch with trembling fingers, coated in sticky red liquid.

Emiko looked down at herself in horror. She was covered in her own blood, all from the deep, painful cuts up her arms. Each cut was only an inch apart from the other, all leading up from the wrist to her elbow. Emiko screamed again, her terror increasing.

Someone barged in through the door, wide-eyed and confused. Their eyes only widened at the sight of her. Luckily, the person who had barged through the door was the vegetarian vampire, and had no interest in her blood. She shook as he approached her, looking her over in shock and fear.

"What did you do?" He asked in disbelief. Emiko sobbed.

"I didn't do this! I-I, I don't know what happened." She cried. She wanted to wipe at her tears, but her hands were coated in blood. She started to walk backwards, away from him and the wall, as if trying to escape the cuts and blood. The man looked between her and the cuts, and then back at her again. He approached her, wanting to inspect the wounds and see if she was okay.

"Stay away!" She yelled in fear. He didn't listen, and approached further, reaching out a hand to place it on her shoulder. The reaction was immediate, a burst of energy racing from her skin to him, and she watched in horror as he turned to ash before her very eyes.

She screamed again. Emiko backed up further, until she hit the back wall. She slid down, clutching at her knees, shaking uncontrollably. She couldn't believe what she had just done. Several faces peaked in the door, looking at her in mixtures between morbid curiosity and confusion. Several people attempted to talk to her, but she could only shake her head and cry. She couldn't believe this was happening. First the cuts and the night terror, and then turning one of the only decent vampires in this place to a pile of ash. She must be going crazy.

"What's going on?" Crowley hurried in through the door, eyes narrowing when he saw the sight Emiko was in. "What happened?" He ordered, voice dark and dangerous. Emiko had never heard him use a tone like that before. She would've been frightened by it, had she not had more on her mind at the moment.

"W-w-we don't know." One of the servants stuttered out fearfully. "We just heard screaming, and she was like this." He answered. Crowley approached Emiko, and she huddled further against the wall, eyes wide with fear. He crouched down in front of her, eyes sweeping over her form. His eyes softened and he reached a hand out to touch her face. She flinched away. He sighed and set his hand down by his side.

"What happened?" He asked softly. Emiko let out a sob and shook her head. He looked back to the staff. "Retrieve Horn and Chess." He ordered. Staff scurried out of the room, hurrying to find the two progenitors. He glared at the rest of the staff. "Get out." Staff scurried out quickly, not wanting to face anymore of Crowley's anger. He looked back at Emiko, face softening once more. He actually looked worried, not that Emiko could tell. She was far too caught up in her fear.

"What's going on?" Horn asked as she and Chess hurried into the room. They studied the room, their faces becoming more and more solemn. "Emiko…" Horn trailed off, kneeling down beside Crowley to get a good look at her.

"She's unresponsive." Crowley informed them, eyes serious. He looked to the two of them. "Fix her." He ordered. Horn glanced at Crowley.

"Leave." Horn responded. Crowley looked at her with narrowed eyes. She sighed. "She's terrified, Lord Crowley. Leave her to us, and we'll do our best." She answered. He didn't respond for a moment, before he nodded and stood, glancing one last time at Emiko before leaving. He closed the door behind him, leaving just the three of them.

"Emi." Chess said quietly. Emiko didn't look up at her. Horn stood.

"I'm going to run a bath." Horn left to run the bath, leaving Emiko with Chess. Chess watched Emiko, trying to find a way to help her. She noticed her labored breathing, her shaking, and the absolutely horrified look in her eye. It was clear she wasn't here with Chess now, but lost in her own terror. Chess reached out to touch her shoulder, but Emiko jerked back, fear alight in her eyes, but she was at least looking at her now.

"Chess!" She gasped, her eyes panicked. She started to shake harder, and she pushed against the wall, trying desperately to get away from her. "Chess, I-he-I turned him to ash! Oh my god, oh my god, Chess, he was trying to help me, I woke up, blood, and shaking, and he touched my shoulder! Oh god, Chess he turned to ash!" Chess could barely understand her through the panic and sobs.

"Emiko." Chess said seriously. "Emiko, breathe." She ordered. "Breathe. I can't help you if you don't calm down." She said softly. Slowly, Emiko was trying to breathe normally again, slowly starting to calm down. Her shaking was calming, ever so slowly, and she looked at Chess for further help. "Keep breathing." Chess encouraged. "You're alright. We're going to get you cleaned up, and then we're going to figure this out. For now, keep breathing." The tremors finally stopped with Chess' help, and her breathing calmed, though she still gasped every so often. Tears leaked down her cheeks, but she was no longer sobbing. Chess reached a hand out to Emiko, offering it to her calmly.

Emiko watched the hand with apprehension and fear. She didn't want to hurt Chess, but she was much calmer now, and she needed her help. Slowly, carefully, Emiko placed her hand in Chess' and allowed the short vampire to help her stand up. Emiko was huddled into herself, but Chess put her arm around her shoulder and helped her walk to the bathroom. Horn walked out then, also helping Emiko into the bathroom.

They helped her undress and get into the bath. Emiko's arms stung as the warm water touched the cuts. Horn grabbed a washcloth, warmed it under the sink water, and took Emiko's arms, slowly and carefully cleaning the cuts. They were already healing, but they doubted the mental wounds would heal quite so quick. They changed the water after cleaning the blood off of her skin, and Emiko laid back into the warm water, trying to remain calm. Chess washed her hair, getting all of the dry blood out. Horn worked on the cuts. They would need further attention from a doctor, but for now she bandaged them to stop any further bleeding.

Once all of the blood was gone and her skin was clean, she climbed out of the bath and wrapped herself in a towel. Horn left to gather clothes, and Chess continued to work on her hair, now brushing it softly. She murmured soft words to Emiko, trying to keep her from panicking again. Though the two vampire women wouldn't admit it, they were worried as well. So much was unexplained about the entire situation. What further worried them was Emiko's state. They'd seen her shut down, pout, and avoid them, but they'd never seen this. They'd never seen her break before.

At one point, neither Horn or Chess would've cared beyond morbid curiosity. However, Emiko had grown on the both of them. At first, she was funny, amusing, and good entertainment, though a bit loud and annoying at times. They both wondered at what point they'd started to look out for the human girl. They both even briefly wondered at some point if they cared about her. It shocked them. Vampires caring about a human? They were their food, not anything more.

But while they'd always told themselves this, it wasn't completely true, no matter how much they may have believed it. At one point, each of them had been human; fragile, vulnerable, and mortal. It had been a long time since, and many of their mortal memories had faded, but it didn't change that they had been mortal once. Emiko reminded them of that. Reminded them, as much as they didn't want to be, that they weren't so different. It made viewing her as livestock harder and harder. Now, neither of them saw her as food. Neither of them saw livestock when they looked at her. They saw...a friend? Perhaps. Something of the sort, but perhaps not quite there.

Afterall, for centuries they'd believe that humans were nothing. One mortal girl couldn't change that in just a few months, but it didn't change the fact that they were changing. Maybe not for all humans, but at least for Emiko. Their viewpoints had changed. And seeing Emiko in such a state had made them realize that.

Horn returned with clothes. Emiko took them, and quickly changed. Horn had grabbed the softest, most comfortable pair of clothing she had; a pair of light gray sweatpants and an oversized blue sweater. It was comfy, and made Emiko feel a bit more comfortable. When she walked out of the room, she found that everything had miraculously be cleaned. The sheets, pillows, comforter, floors, the ashes. Not a speck still littered the room, and for that, Emiko was grateful. It was almost as if it hadn't happened. Almost.

"Where's Crowley?" Emiko asked suddenly. She had remembered him being here earlier, but she didn't remember when he had left. Chess and Horn shared a look.

"You weren't responsive, so he had us clean you up and get settled." Horn answered softly. It was almost as if she were afraid that if she spoke any louder, Emiko would break. Emiko nodded absent-mindedly, and wrapped her arms around herself. She stared about the room with a blank expression.

"Would you like me to go get him?" Chess asked uncertainly. Emiko shook her head.

"No." She answered quietly. "Can I stay in a guest room?" She asked lowly. Even if the room had been cleaned, she could still see the areas where the blood had been, where his ashes had laid.

"You can stay in my room." Chess offered. "It will be like a slumber party." She tried to sound cheerful, but it sounded forced. Honestly, Chess just didn't want the girl to be alone. Who knew what she would do once alone. Emiko nodded.

"Okay." She allowed Chess to lead her out of the room. Horn looked around the room and then sighed. She headed for Crowley's office, knowing he wouldn't have gone back to sleep after that. He was indeed in his office, but he looked distracted. He looked up when Horn entered,eyes zeroing in on her almost immediately.

"Well?" He asked, trying to sound indifferent. Horn pretended not to notice.

"We got her cleaned up, and calmed down. She's staying in Chess' room tonight." She answered. Crowley looked relieved, but quickly covered it up.

"Has she told you what happened?" He asked. She shook her head.

"No, and I don't think we should ask just yet. She seems...traumatized." Horn murmured. Crowley nodded. "Will you tell the Queen?" Horn asked. Crowley thought it over, and then nodded.

"Yes. Krul can say whatever she likes, but she adores Emiko, and she won't be happy if she finds out we kept this from her. Send a note to her immediately." Horn nodded and hurried off to do as he asked.

For days, Emiko was cooped up in Chess' room, refusing to leave, even to eat. It got to the point where staff was bringing meals to the room, hoping she would eat. She rarely did. She hardly spoke, and slept all the time. She wouldn't respond when Chess or Horn spoke to her. Even Krul had attempted to speak with her, only to be ignored.

From what Emiko had panickingly told Chess that night, they were able to piece together what happened. Emiko had woken with the cuts it seems. She panicked, screamed, and the vegetarian had heard her. He entered the room to see what had happened. He approached, touched her shoulder, and Emiko's strange powers went on a sort of defensive mode. Turned him to ash the second he touched her. Emiko was horrified by what had happened, and quite simply, had a mental breakdown. Not that anyone blamed her. It was quite a frightening experience they could only assume.

Crowley entered the room. He looked for Emiko, finding her lying on Chess' bed, unmoving. She wasn't asleep-that was clear by the way he eyes peered over at him boredly. She closed her eyes, and curled into herself further. "Get up." He ordered. Emiko ignored him. He sighed in frustration, and moved to the bed, flipping the mattress over. Emiko fell flat on her face, but still, she didn't make a noise. She didn't even look up at him and glare or pout. "You think this is solving anything?" he asked her, a tinge of irritation in his tone. He'd given her time to rest, to get over it. Now, he was angry. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but he missed the little spitfire. The pranks, the sass, the backtalk. She made things interesting, and he often looked forward to their arguments. And in his own way, he cared about her.

Emiko peeked up at him, and then looked away.

"Get ready." He told her, walking towards the door. "You've been out of practice too long. If you don't, I'll send Chess to drag you there." He left soon after that, and gave her a total of twenty minutes to show up on her own. When that didn't happen, he sent in Chess. Within ten minutes, she was dragging the petite human girl into the gym. She'd gotten her dressed, in a pair of gray and black yoga pants and a t-shirt. She'd braided her hair, though it was greasy and messy. Emiko stood at the doorway, Chess holding her up. She glared at Crowley, but there was no life too it.

This was going to be harder than he thought.

He threw the bo staff at her, and it hit her in the stomach, falling to the ground. She looked down at it with no expression, and then looked back up at Crowley with no expression. Crowley pinched the bridge of his nose. If he didn't enjoy her too much, he might've killed her for her insolence. He walked towards her, stopping directly in front of her. He crossed his arms and stared at her with narrowed eyes, wondering how he was going to get her to react. It didn't take long to decide.

"Emiko." He said pleasantly. "If you don't pick up the bo staff and get training, I'll have livestock from the city brought in and drain them dry right in front of you." That got a reaction. She Tornado roundhouse kicked him in the chest, and seemingly did so with all her strength, because he actually flew back two feet and hit the ground. He stared up at her, in a mixture of shock and respect. He'd never seen her kick so hard or put that much strength behind anything. He must've really made her mad. She glared at him heatedly, and he felt a rush of excitement in his chest. Finally, she was showing some emotion. She clenched her fists, and merely continued to glare at him, jaw locked and eyes set. He thought perhaps she might attack again, but she merely stood there glaring at him. Then, her glare fell and she sighed.

"Stop, okay?" She said softly. "I don't have the desire to fight. I'm tired." She told him. Crowley cocked his head to the side, watching her.

"You've slept for days." He pointed out, a bit of humor in his voice. Her eyes flashed with annoyance, but it was gone too quick. She crossed her arms.

"It's not that kind of tired." She mumbled. He crossed his arms, and gave her a long, scrutinizing look. She sighed, realizing she would have to explain. She pointed to her head, and then to her heart. "I guess you would've forgotten, since it has been so long since you've been human. Tired isn't just a physical state. When you've faced difficult hardships, or pain, your head, your heart, they get tired. You get tired of thinking, tired of feeling, tired of trying." She explained honestly. She didn't quite understand why she was explaining this to him, as it was clear he couldn't understand it anyway.

"Humans are strange." He muttered. Emiko scoffed, but it was a tired and resigned sound.

"I'm going back to bed." She murmured, moving towards the door. Crowley moved quickly, blocking the way. She scowled. "Please, let me go back to bed." She said through grit teeth. Crowley motioned towards the bo.

"Pick it up." She glared at him. He grinned. She couldn't hold herself back anymore; she punched him in the face. Like the kick, the force behind it actually shocked Crowley, and his head snapped to the side. He laughed and clutched at his jaw. He had been expecting something of the sort; he just hadn't expected it to actually hurt. She punched him again. And again. She would've continued to punch him if he hadn't grabbed her fist,throwing her across the room. She hit the wall painfully, but it only fueled the rage inside of her.

She shot up from the ground, ignoring the aching in her back as she raced towards him, a shout of anger tearing from her lips. Crowley smirked, and two engaged in a deadly dance. Crowley was mostly on the defensive, holding her off easily, but he was mesmerized by her. Never before had she fought like this; fought with so much aggression and anger and passion. What she was so passionate about, Crowley had no idea, but he found the aggressive look on her face to be charming.

Crowley didn't know what had come over him, but he found himself excited. The look on her face, the sweat on her brow, and the strength she wielded, it all made him want her; and not just her blood, her. He pushed her against the wall, pinning her hands by her head with his. Her chest heaved, breath leaving and entering her lungs quickly. She gave him a questioning look, those blue orbs filling with confusion. He couldn't help himself; he pressed his lips against hers in a fiery kiss, desperate and wanting. He trailed his hands down from her hands to her hips, pulling her closer.

Emiko was confused. She had not been expecting that; in fact, it had been the last thing she was expecting. She had expected him to fight her, beat her up, leave her more angry than when she had first started out. But no; here he was, kissing her, holding her. The way he kissed her, it was almost like he was asking her to kiss him back, begging her too. She had no idea where this was coming from. Crowley never begged, never asked. He told, he ordered, he threatened, he bartered. He had never asked Emiko for anything. Now, she didn't know what to do.

The kiss felt good, she wouldn't pretend it didn't. The way his hands gripped her hips, the way his lips moved against hers, it was all enticing. She had never been kissed like this. Well, she didn't know if she'd ever been kissed at all. She had a feeling if she had ever been kissed like this before, she would remember though. Emiko acted on instinct; she moved her lips against his, just as hungrily as he was. She draped her arms over his shoulders, trailing her fingers across his back. He pressed harder against her, kissed her more fiercely. He acted like a starved man, one who had been depriving himself for far too long.

His lips left hers, trailing a kiss down her chin, her neck, and her collarbone. Emiko breathed heavily, attempting to regain the air she had lost when he had kissed her. She wasn't doing a very good job; the trail of kisses he was making was taking her breath away. She clutched at him, spurning him further. And then, on his way back up her neck, she felt the sting of his fang against her neck.

It woke Emiko up, and she gasped and stumbled, pushing him away with her free hands. His shock allowed her to do so. She watched him closely, as she tried to get a grip on the situation. He was breathing heavily as well; he had been just as affected as she was. Something seemed to wake up in him as well, as his eyes widened and then narrowed as he took in the situation. The two continued to stare at each other, both at a loss for what to say.

Lost and confused, Emiko took off, running out of the gym and away from him.

...

Soooo...that happened. Honestly, the ending was not supposed to end like that at all. In fact, it was supposed to be a while before they kissed. However, as I was writing, they seemed to be making their own decisions, and it just happened. I couldn't stop it, even if I wanted to. :P

I hope you liked this chapter, even if it ended differently than expected, and was very depressing in the beginning. That's not forgotten by the way; more on the trauma Emiko just faced in the next chapter, as well as the confusion of the kiss! It should be a fun, complicated chapter. Thanks for reading, please review and let me know what you think!

Ps. Thanks for the influx of reviews I got! They made me happy! :D


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey guys, I hope you're ready for the next chapter! I leave it on a bit of a cliffhanger, so don't hate me! Also, I've been thinking and I think it'd be a lot of fun to do a character questionnaire for Emiko. She's such an interesting character, and it helps me get her into character when writing with these sorts of things, so ask me anything! Of course, I won't give away any big spoilers, but I may give away some spoiler things and interesting facts if you ask the right questions! So, ask away! I will also answer some questions that have already been asked!**

Emiko continued to hide in Chess' room. In fact, she'd even locked Chess out, much to Chess' chagrin. Emiko attempted to wallow on what she had done to that vampire, but the kiss kept interfering. Honestly, she couldn't even torture herself right. All she wanted was to feel like an awful human being for killing that vampire, and instead,she was feeling confused about some kiss with the man she hated most in this world. Which of course, just made her feel even worse.

Emiko sat up, huffing to herself in annoyance. It had gotten to the point where wallowing was no longer making her feel better, or well, worse. It was just making her angry. She ran a frustrated hand through her hair and looked around the room. She had really made a mess of Chess' room since she'd started staying here, not that Chess' room hadn't been a mess before. Unlike Horn, Chess was not organized.

Emiko decided that she needed to talk to someone; mainly, she needed to talk to Krul. A decision made, Emiko hurried out of the room, not even changing or brushing her hair. Chess was only a few feet down the hall, and gave Emiko a surprised look. "You came out!" She yelled. Emiko nodded, and walked right past her, pace brisk.

"Gotta go see Krul. Be back later."

"Wait-Emi!" Chess yelled, and grabbed her wrist, spinning her around to face her. "You can just go out on your own." She reminded her.

"Then give me my whip." Emiko retorted. Chess sighed.

"I'll go with you." She offered. Emiko shook her head.

"No! I have to go alone! In case you've forgotten, I kick ass. I'll be back soon." Then, she freed herself from Chess' grip and ran off. Chess sighed.

"Well, at least she's up." She muttered, and turned to head to her room.

Emiko raced down the streets of Sanguinem, waving to any of the kids who greeted her. She had become popular amongst them since she had thrown the christmas party, and many looked up to her as a big sister. Vampires stopped and stared at Emiko as she hurried down the streets. She was quite the sight to behold; her hair was a rats nest, she was in a pair of pink pajamas with sleeping sheep on them.

She arrived at Krul's mansion, and the guards immediately let her in. She stopped to ask one of the servants where Krul was, and they explained she was in her room at the moment. Emiko headed that way, knocking before she entered. Krul called for her to enter and Emiko walked in.

Krul was at her vanity, pulling her hair up. Her eyes widened when she saw Emiko and she stood and turned. Krul raced over, and promptly knocked Emiko to the floor in a hug. Emiko coughed, her airways restricting. "Can't...breathe…" Emiko gasped. Krul let up, giving Emiko the chance to breathe.

She sat up, pulling in air and glaring at Krul. "I thought you were permanently traumatized." Krul said, glaring back at Emiko. Emiko scratched the back of her and shrugged.

"I am permanently traumatized." She mumbled, thoughts returning to that night. She shivered, and the trembles returned to her fingertips. She shook her head, and clenched her fists, stopping the tremors. She looked up to Krul. "I killed someone." She said quietly, tears stinging her eyes. Emiko expected Krul to yell at her again for crying, for being weak. Instead, she simply watched her, with an unreadable expression.

"A vampire." Krul corrected. Emiko looked up in surprise.

"That matters?" She asked. Krul nodded.

"It should. To you. Emiko, you were a part of the Vampire Extermination unit in the army. You really think you've never killed vampires before?" She asked. Emiko looked down at her lap. Krul had a point, but still, something about this felt wrong.

"It's different." Emiko insisted quietly. "He was trying to help me. And...I turned him to ash." Emiko began to shake, the image replaying over and over in her head. Krul grabbed her forearms, bringing Emiko back to the present.

"You didn't do it on purpose." Krul answered. "Let me see your arms." Krul ordered. Emiko held out her arms for Krul to look at. The cuts had completely healed, but small, thin silver scars sat in place of them.

"Why did this happen?" Emiko whispered. Krul glanced at her eyes and then back at arms.

"There is a demon living inside of you, Emi." Krul answered, meeting Emiko's gaze. "You're a human. That comes with consequences." Emi nodded,pulling her arms back to wrap them around herself. She shook her head, shaking off the memories. She came here for a reason.

"That's not why I'm here." Emiko answered, focusing on the topic at hand. "There has been a-uh-development." Her cheeks tinged pink slightly at the thought of what had happened just days ago. Krul's smile slowly turned to a mischievous smirk.

"Uh huh." She said. Emiko bit her lip nervously and hummed, trying to force herself to tell her.

"So...Crowley may have...kissed me?" Emiko said unsurely. Krul's smirk grew and she actually laughed out loud.

"That happened faster than I thought." She said, sounding overjoyed. Emiko stared at her in shock, and then scowled.

"You planned this?" Emiko asked in outrage. Krul rolled her eyes.

"I strategized." Krul corrected. "I told Crowley he couldn't have you. Of course, that automatically meant a part of him would want you. But you really did all the work, Emiko." Krul said with sparkling eyes. Emiko was furious. Krul had planned this, and she hadn't even informed her! Emiko glared at the vampire queen. "Don't look at me like that." Krul chided gently. "I didn't force him to want you. I just...helped the process along." Despite her anger, Emiko couldn't help herself.

"What do you mean?" She asked. Krul sighed.

"Crowley may be a vampire, but he's also a man, Emiko. Your blood smells delicious, you're a beautiful human girl, and you're challenging. He was bound to want you." Emiko's cheeks turned rosy and she wanted to snap at Krul that that was totally not true, but, well, it kind of was. Damn her to hell.

"Why did you want this to happen in the first place?" She snapped. Krul smiled.

"Emiko, you promised your loyalty to me, remember?" Krul asked. Emiko was instantly put on guard. She watched Krul with suspicious eyes, but nodded her agreement anyway. "I fear that Crowley's loyalties don't lie with me, but with Ferid. However, if his loyalties turned to you…" Krul trailed off. Emiko's jaw dropped. She could not seriously be asking her to do that!

"No!" Emiko yelled back immediately. Krul scowled and crossed her arms. "I will not! Absolutely not! I hate him!" Emiko snapped.

"Did you kiss him back?" Krul asked. Emiko's mouth snapped shut, and her cheeks pinkened once more. Krul grinned. "If Crowley's loyalties are with Ferid, it could spell trouble for me as Queen. I need him under my control." She explained. Emiko's eyes narrowed.

"You're using me." She accused. Krul's expression became serious.

"You've always known the arrangements of our alliance, Emi." Krul reminded her. Emiko sighed sadly.

"I just...I came here looking for help and now you're...using me to keep control of your subjects. That's not fair, Krul. I've always been loyal to you. I've gone on your missions, I stayed with Crowley even though I hate him. I've done as you asked, but this is too much. You're asking me to compromise myself." Emiko stood and turned towards the door.

"Emiko," Krul said, standing as well. Emiko stopped. "You've seen first hand how dangerous Ferid is." Krul said seriously. Emiko sighed. She turned to face Krul.

"Yes, and you had me pretend to adore him to get closer to him. You put me in a house with Crowley, who is also dangerous. And now, you want me to 'seduce' him to keep him loyal to you. Right now, you can't even keep me loyal." She snapped pursed her lips, anger flashing in her eyes, but she kept it in check.

"What are you saying?" Krul asked coldly.

"I'm saying that I'm going to be thinking long and hard about who I should trust, because obviously, it's not you." Emiko yanked her arm free from Krul's grip and quickly left. Surprisingly, Krul let her.

…

Emiko was hiding again. This time, she was hidden away in the gardens, hidden behind a bush. She'd been here for several hours, merely thinking about what she was going to do. For nearly a week Emiko had been hiding around the house, in several different rooms. At first, she had been hiding under the sink. It had been a bit of a shock to the servants when they found her snacking on tortilla chips.

She was trying to decide who to trust, and who to be. The events in the past few weeks had both hurt and traumatized Emiko, and she suddenly was no longer sure of herself or her situation. She'd always taken things in stride, but now, she wasn't so sure she could do that. Things had gotten too complicated. She went over what she knew.

Crowley desired her, in more way than one. Whether or not he had 'feelings' for her was unclear. Krul wanted Emiko to use that desire to keep him loyal to her. The things Emiko didn't know? Whether she could trust Krul, and, even worse, whether she wanted Crowley as well. She wanted to say no, but...she had kissed him back. Of course, she'd also stopped it, but that didn't change the facts. Emiko groaned and buried her face in her hands. She just didn't know what to do. Trust Krul, don't trust Krul. That's what it all came down to.

She wished she could make that decision without factoring in everything else. Afterall, there were plenty of reasons why Emiko needed to trust Krul, or at least remain loyal to her. For one, she kept Emiko safe. As much as Emiko hated it, staying with Crowley kept her safe. Plus, she had grown to really love Chess and Horn, even if she didn't always trust them either.

In truth, Emiko didn't want to leave. She didn't hate staying with Crowley as much as she pretended she did. Her days were interesting, and she had plenty to keep her busy with. She also couldn't return to the army. Who knew what would happen? The last time, they'd locked her in a prison cell. She would never be welcomed back there.

There was also the facts that Krul had helped her at times. Even if Krul did use Emiko, she also cared about her, Emiko knew that. When Krul and Emiko had first become acquainted, Emiko had acted friendly in order to keep herself alive. Krul had seen right through that, and told Emiko to show her true feelings.

When Emiko had explained that showing her true feelings is terrifying, Krul had agreed. It was then, Emiko had discovered a secret about Krul; the two were similar. Maybe not overtly, but in subtle ways. Both were experts at pretending. Pretending and pretending and pretending until they started to believe that's all they were. Because of this, Emiko had taken a liking to Krul. But, that didn't mean Emiko was going to let her push her around.

Emiko stood and sighed in frustration. "Okay, Em, no more wishy-washiness. Either you trust Krul, or you don't." She said to herself, starting to pace.

"I would go with don't." Emiko jumped, whirling around to face the intruder. It was none other than Lord Ferid himself; Emiko wasn't pleased, and she didn't have the desire to hide it. She scowled at him, crossing her arms and giving him a defiant look. He laughed aloud, and approached her, stopping a few feet away. "My dear, our queen is charming, but not quite trustworthy." He elaborated. Emiko pursed her lips.

"Well, if we're being honest with each other, neither are you." He laughed again, filled with pleasantries that Emiko didn't believe for a second. If Emiko couldn't trust Krul, she most definitely couldn't trust Ferid.

"Too true," He agreed, smiling all the while. "But at least with me, you'll know what I want." He said. Emiko narrowed her eyes at him.

"What do you mean?" She asked suspiciously. His grin widened, eyes sparkling with something that scared Emiko.

"You see, Emiko, I know so much more about you than you think." He said, approaching further. Emiko took a step back, trying to keep their distance. Without the pretenses, she didn't trust him enough to get close. "I would be happy to tell you, if you would be loyal to me." Emiko regarded him closely. She had to go about this very carefully, or who knows how it might end up.

"Why should I trust you?" Emiko asked. Ferid chuckled.

"Oh Emiko, never trust anyone." He replied in amusement. "Only trust my desires. You are extremely powerful; I want you on my side. I am prepared to give you anything you want in order to do so." Emiko bit her lip.

"I desire answers," Emiko admitted. Then, she looked up to meet Ferid's gaze. "But I desire loyalty more than anything else. I just want to be able to place my faith in someone." He continued to smile, just as pleasantly as before. It unnerved her.

"You will." He answered lightly. He approached, picking up a piece of her hair and twirling it around his finger playfully. "You will be able to trust yourself. No more blank spaces in your memories, no turning people to ash or a demon taking control of you. I have all the answers you seek. Just give your allegiance to me." Emiko sighed, but she felt torn. She couldn't pretend his offer wasn't appealing. She wanted so badly to be able to know who she was, and more importantly, what she was. She wanted to be able to trust herself.

"I...I don't know." Emiko admitted. He smiled and placed a kiss into her hair, and then stepped back.

"Think about it." He offered. "I will be returning to visit Crowley in a week, let me know then." He disappeared before her eyes. Emiko sighed, and rubbed her temples. 'Great', she thought, 'Things just keep getting more complicated'.

Emiko knew she couldn't trust Ferid. But, she also didn't know if she could trust Krul. Ferid had answers; Krul might have safety and loyalty. There was also the fact that Ferid would never reveal everything to her; he said that she would know what he wanted, but Emiko doubted anyone knew what Ferid really wanted. She hardly thought she ever would either, no matter what he offered.

Emiko fell back on the grass, staring up at the ceiling of Sanguinem. She desperately missed the blue sky, the clouds, the sun against her skin. She missed being human. She missed having a tan. Of course, she couldn't get one if she went outside anyway, considering it was January and colder than the North Pole.

"What are you doing?" Emiko turned her head. Mika was standing by the gazebo, a scowl on his lips. Emiko sat up, and stared at him curiously. He never approached her. She always had to to do the approaching. Well, chasing. Sometimes tackling. It depended on the day.

"Trying to sort out my loyalties." She admitted honestly. Mika raised an eyebrow and approached, taking a seat beside her. It was a surprising development, but not unwelcome.

"Yeah, I heard Ferid, and Krul told me what happened." He explained. Emiko narrowed her eyes.

"You and Krul are close; tell me, can I trust her?" Emiko asked. Mika shrugged. She pouted. "Mika." She begged.

"I'm not going to tell you who to trust." He said with a scowl. "I will tell you who not to trust. Ferid." He said, voice growing dark. Emiko cocked her head to the side, giving him a curious look.

"I thought you and Ferid got along?" She asked. Mika's eyes darkened.

"Ferid killed my family." Emiko was stunned into silence. Hatred had filled Mika's normally cold eyes, and Emiko had the urge to scoot away. He glanced up at her, holding her gaze. "He is terrible just for the entertainment of it. Krul is only terrible when she has to be. Take that into account when making your decision." Then, he stood and left her to her thoughts.

Mika made a good point. Alright, She'd made her decision. She stood and walked out of the garden, heading for Krul's castle. Krul was in the throne room when she arrived. She looked up and sat up straight when she saw her, clearly not having expected her. "I thought it would've taken you a lot longer to come talk to me." She stated. Emiko shrugged, and approached the throne, stopping on the stairs.

"Krul…" Emiko trailed off, unsure of how to start. "I want to trust someone. I want to trust you. But...I don't just want to be a tool for you to use against your enemies." She explained. Krul nodded.

"Go on." She responded. Emiko wrung her hands together. She didn't know how she'd respond to Emiko's request, and she was a bit worried about it.

"But, if you can prove to me that I can trust you as much as you can trust me, then you will have my loyalty. But first, you have to answer a question, completely honest." Krul leaned forward, motioning for Emiko to go on. "What's your endgame?"

…

Emiko stared at herself in the mirror. She'd pulled her hair up into a ponytail, and was wearing light makeup. It was a slight change, but she was sure Crowley would notice. She sighed and pulled her hair down, letting it fall over her bare shoulders. She couldn't believe she was actually going through with this. But, she had sworn allegiance to Krul if she had been honest with her; and she had. She had told Emiko everything, and for that, Emiko was grateful. She'd also promised to help Emiko find out how to control these strange powers. In return, Emiko had sworn to do as Krul asked.

Which meant seducing Crowley. She wasn't excited. She was trying to be subtle about it, because she knew he would notice a change. If she was too overt about it, he would suspect something. Afterall, Emiko never made anything easy. Part of the fun of her was that she was so challenging.

Still, she'd had to make some slight changes. She was wearing a form fitting blue tank top. Not unusual, though the straps were thinner and the top hugged her a bit tighter. She then wore a pair of black yoga pants and some sneakers. It was pretty average for her, but she wasn't sure how to act. This would be her first training with Crowley since the kiss, and she had absolutely no idea how to react. Should she be standoffish? Should she act normal? Should she act embarrassed? She didn't have a clue.

She decided the best thing to do was go off of how Crowley was acting. If he was acting normal, then she would be normal as well. If not, well, then, she'd go with the flow. Crowley was waiting in the gym, as usual. He had his sword out today, which meant they would be sword-fighting. She didn't even bother talking to him, and merely went to grab a sword.

She took her spot opposite of him, taking the proper stance. They met their gaze, and then they started. Crowley was on the offensive, whilst Emiko took up the defense. He wasn't going easy on her today; She could barely keep up with the wave of attacks, and when she'd failed to dodge an attack, his sword knicked her cheek. She gave a short gasp, surprised by the sting of the pain, and stepped back. She dodged another attack, and used her other hand to place a hand against the wound, pulling back to look at the blood on her fingertips.

She looked up to Crowley, noticing he had stopped attacking. He was watching her fingertips. She dropped her hand to her side, and his eyes snapped up to her face. They watched each other closely,and Emiko couldn't quite read what he was thinking. Was he thinking about the kiss? Or was he thinking about her blood? Probably the latter, she realized, though it didn't make her any more relaxed. His sword hit the ground, and she saw the blur as he moved towards her. She dropped her sword as well, deciding that now would be a good time to run.

He caught her, of course, He wrapped his arms around her middle, hugging her back to his chest. He leaned towards her neck, but he didn't move the hair away from her neck. Instead, he hovered there. His breath was warm against her, and she wasn't sure what he was waiting for. She let out a breath of air, trying to recapture her voice.

"Are you going to bite me?" She managed to whisper. He hummed in thought.

"If you let me." He said teasingly. She licked her lips, and tried not to stutter.

"Since when have you ever asked?" She retorted. He chuckled, and it felt nice against her skin, not that she'd ever admit that.

"Since I decided I wanted your approval." He replied, tone still taunting. She was starting to grow frustrated with this back and forth, but she knew this was a step in a good direction. If she could react right, it would further their relationship.

"Why should I say yes?" She asked, turning her head around to glare at him. Their faces were inches apart, and thoughts of the kiss entered both of their minds. He leaned closer, until their lips were inches apart. She gulped, but did not move back.

"Because I'm asking nicely." He offered playfully.

"I'm not a blood bag." She reminded him softly. Krul had never ordered Emiko to offer him her blood and she wouldn't. She may have given in these last few times, but those were for good reasons. She wouldn't let him drink from her just for the sake of seduction. He whipped her around so that they were chest to chest. His grip fell to her waist, thumbs massaging circles into the flesh of her back. It felt good.

"Please?" He asked. She quirked a small grin unable to help herself.

"You wish." Then, she shoved him back and stepped away. She moved back towards her sword, picking it up and turning to face him. She held out her sword in front of her. "Are we going to fight or are you going to try more seduction techniques out on me?" She asked. There was a taunting tone to her voice, and Emiko realized something important. Crowley already wanted her. She didn't need to act any differently. Crowley laughed and approached grabbing his sword. He smirked at her, and the fight began again.

 **...**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter! It was fun to write, hence the quick update! In the next chapter, we're going to be seeing Emiko having a little fun with this whole 'seduction' thing. Also, she's not very good at it, haha. We'll see her antics next chapter! Thanks for reading!**


	13. Chapter 13

Emiko and Chess were on a very important mission. Well, important in Emiko's eyes. She was on the hunt for all things girly; perfume, makeup, a curling iron. They had headed into Akihabara, searching a super store for the desired items. She'd been grabbing all sorts of sweet smelling and fancy looking makeup and perfumes. Chess was all for it, but she was getting suspicious as to why Emiko was doing this.

Emiko couldn't tell her it was because she was actually having fun trying out new ways to bother Crowley. And by bother, Emiko meant seduce. In the most humorous way possible. She figured if she was actually seductive, Crowley would know something was up in an instance. So, she was mostly subtle about it, unless the situation called for her to be hilariously overt. At which moments, she was more likely to make Crowley laugh at her than want her. Still, it was all good fun. She was having fun making a fool of herself, despite how embarrassing it could be.

Crowley seemed to be having fun as well. Emiko's antics were more often than not comical. He couldn't tell exactly what she was up to, but he was having too much fun to really care.

"Ohhh, this looks nice." Emiko said as she picked up a pink lipstick. It was definitely her color. Chess nodded her agreement.

"Humans really do have so many varieties of makeup." Chess said in wonderment. Emiko shrugged. Emiko picked up another lipstick, this one was a reddish-brown color, and was actually quite pretty too. She stuffed in in the basket and continued down the aisle. "I really wish you could go to the annual progenitors banquet. It will be so boring without you." Emiko perked up at Chess' words.

"Banquet? You mean, like a party?" Emiko asked, eyeing Chess with excitement. Chess' eyes widened as she realized she'd said that out loud.

"Nothing!" Chess answered. Emiko's eyes narrowed on Chess.

"Nuh uh! You said 'Progenitors Banquet' That's a party! I wanna go, I wanna go!" She begged, jumping around Chess. There was a bit of a whine in her voice that made it clear she wasn't giving up on this.

"I wasn't even supposed to mention it to you!" Chess hissed quietly, as if afraid someone would hear her. "You can't go, Emi, it won't just be the progenitors here in Japan, but in every country!" She explained.

"Even more reason to go!" She squealed, jumping up and down. "I want to meet the other Progenitors! If they're as eccentric as the ones I've met, it'll be sure to be interesting!" Emiko pleaded. Chess glared at her, clearly taking offense to her little 'eccentric' comment. Not that she could blame her. Most of the Progenitors _were eccentric._ And very likely to get Krul in trouble for keeping a human around.

"Humans aren't allowed, and if the progenitors council knew Krul was keeping you around instead of destroying you…" Chess trailed off unsurely. Emiko waved off her concerns.

"Chess, I think we've established something; I'm a likable person. People like me. Vampires like me. Hell, even Mirai likes me, whether she wants to admit it or not. They'll overlook the little fact that I'm a human once they are charmed by me." Emiko said cheerfully. Chess raised an eyebrow, a small smirk crossing her lips.

"You know, on top of being likable, you're also conceited." Chess shot back. Emiko pouted. Chess smirked. The two continued their search through all things girly, and eventually ended up in the woman's clothing section. Well, to be more precise, the woman's lingerie section. Chess had pulled her along after severe reluctance on Emiko's part. There weren't any cute ones; or so Chess said. Chess turned to Emiko with a determined look that instantly scared her.

"We need a Victoria's secret." She grabbed Emiko's hand and practically dragged her through the store and out on a mission to find a Victoria's secret. Despite that, they couldn't find one anywhere. Though Akihabara was a shopping district, it was mostly filled with anime, manga, and strange cafes. They searched for nearly an hour, but came up empty handed. Emiko felt a bit relieved. Until Chess squealed, and gripped Emiko's arm tightly.

"Ow!" Emiko hissed, looking to the squealing vampire noble questioningly. Chess was watching something with excitement, and Emiko followed her gaze. Oh no. No, this was not good.

"A cosplay store!" She yelled with excitement, and before Emiko could run, she'd dragged her inside the store. Emiko fought the entire way, but it was no use; there was no way you could escape Chess when she got this excited. Chess attempted to wait her out, expecting Chess to let go of her while she browsed the door, but she never did. She had a feeling Chess wanted to dress her up. All kinds of costumes surrounded the store; most of them revealing and sexy. Chess at one point tried to dress her up in an Alice and Wonderland costume that would barely cover her chest and butt, and Emiko tried to run for her life. Chess gave in, but only if Emiko promised to try on a maid costume.

Emiko bit her lip nervously. The costume was longer and much more modest than the Alice in Wonderland costume, but it was still revealing. With a sigh, Emiko gave in and headed into a dressing room. She changed out of her comfortable clothing into the revealing black and white dress.

Emiko stepped out of the dressing room, and attempted to pull the skirt down shorter. In doing so, she revealed more cleavage. She was at a loss of what to do. Chess laughed happily, eyes twinkling in a mixture of amusement and mischief. "You have to wear that back!" Chess laughed playfully. Emiko's jaw dropped.

"No way in hell!" Emiko shouted back. Chess' eyes twinkled. "Well, it's either that, or one of these other costumes." Chess said. Emiko gave her a confused look.

"What do you mean, my clothes are right in there-No! Chess, no don't you dare!" Emiko yelled as Chess raced past her, into the dressing, and grabbed her clothes. She ran right past her and down the street. Emiko chased after her, shouting all the way. Chess laughed like a maniac and for once, it wasn't Crowley Emiko wanted to punch.

"You are so dead when I catch you!" Emiko fumed angrily. She couldn't believe Chess was doing this to her! And they'd left all of the cosmetics and perfume back at the store too! "Chess, I will never forgive you for this!" Emiko came to a rearing stop out front of the mansion, and looked around wildly. There was no escape. She could run to Krul's mansion, but chances were, every vampire in the city would catch a sight of her underwear as she ran, and she certainly wasn't slowing down enough for them to see the skimpy maid's cosplay. Emi had no choice; she had to head into the mansion.

Cursing Chess the entire way, she creeped down the halls towards her room. She opened the door and hurried towards her dresser, pulling open a drawer. All of her clothes were gone. "No, no, no, no, Chess you did not do this to me." Emiko muttered as she checked her closet. Nothing. Emiko screamed in frustration.

She was going to have to find Chess, and beat her into giving her her clothes back. Emiko hurried down the halls, no longer being sneaky. She didn't have time for sneaky; everyone would see if she was stealthy anyway. She just needed to hurry and find Chess.

"Chess, you little shit, I'm going to kill you!" Emiko yelled. Emiko wasn't usually one for vulgarity, but the situation called for it. Chess needed to know she was a dead woman. There was a giggle down the hallway, and Emiko followed it. Emiko turned a corner, and nearly ran into Ferid. She let out a screech and jumped back, nearly falling in the process. He looked her up and down and smirked, meeting her gaze.

"Emiko, I didn't take you for the cosplay type. Crowley must be pleased." He purred. Emiko's face turned forty shades of red.

"Shut up you...stupid head! Chess stole my clothes! I don't care if she's a noble, I'm gonna throw her down a well for this!" She shouted, trying not to show just how embarrassed she really was. "And for your information, I freaking hate Crowley! Hate him, hate him, hate him!" She jumped up and down like a child, stomping her feet. Okay, so she might be throwing a bit of a tantrum, but she was just the right level of humiliated and angry for her not to care.

"Well, I won't get in your way any longer." He stepped out of her way, and she rushed down the hall, desperate to get away. She couldn't believe Ferid had seen her in that. There was only one person on this planet she would want to see her in this less and that was…

"That's a strange outfit." Oh no. It was him. Emiko reared to a stop before she hit into him. Speak of the devil. Emiko felt like crying.

"Chess is a walking corpse." Emiko cursed under her breath. Crowley laughed, and Emiko barely had the courage to look up and face him. Crowley was looking her up and down in appraisal, but he seemed more amused than anything. Still, she did not miss the dark glint in his eyes, and Emiko desperately wanted to get away.

"Ah, I see Chess is the one pulling the pranks now." He said, laughter in his eyes. Emiko tried to glare at him, but she could only manage a miserable pout that just made him laugh , Emiko caught side of blue hair peeking around the corner. Emiko nearly growled. "I'll kill you, you backstabbing witch!" Emiko shrieked as she chased after the blue hair. It disappeared down the corner, but Emiko was not far behind. She was just about to catch her, when she froze, a breathless gasp leaving her lips. Chess stopped and turned to see what had caused Emiko to freeze in place.

"Emiko?" Chess asked quietly. Emiko's eyes were terrified, as they stared at something that wasn't there. She started to shake, violently, and her lip quivered. She looked like she was trying to say something, but fear had clogged the words in her throat. Crowley glanced down the hallway, and stopped to stare when he caught sight of Emiko's shaking form.

Suddenly, Emiko screamed. It was a bloodcurdling sound, one that made Crowley and Chess wince. It was a sound of complete and absolute horror, and Chess had to wonder just what Emiko was seeing. Emiko's arms moved to each other, and she dug her nails into the skin until she started to bleed. She scratched at the skin, until the wounds became terrible and bloody.

Chess raced over to Emiko, and grabbed her arms to stop her from further harming herself. The smell of her blood was strong, and it was incredibly alluring to both her and Crowley, but they weren't focused on that at the moment. They were focused on the human girl who seemed to be falling apart at the seams.

She screamed again, and tears started to leak down her cheeks. She fought against Chess, her nails wanting to claw at something, but Chess held her back. She began to fight against Chess, shoving and pulling and screaming, but she used none of the skills she had learned in combat training. These weren't the actions of warrior; these were the actions of someone desperate to get away. Chess and Crowley shared a look. Neither of them knew what to do.

Servants began to peek down the hall, curious as to what the screaming was about. The instance they saw Emiko, they turned and headed in the opposite direction. Emiko screamed again, and shaking was becoming worse and worse, and deep slashes were beginning to appear across the flesh of her arms, but she had no way to make them herself. They were just appearing, almost as if a ghost were out to get her.

The screaming distracted them both from the white hair. When the blonde had completely disappeared, the shaking and crying and screaming stopped abruptly. She pulled back from Chess, and opened her eyes, her red orbs flashing. Mirai had stopped it. She ignored Chess and Crowley and looked over her appearance, a scowl taking over her still puffy face. "How annoying," She muttered. "I was hoping I would have at least another year before this started happening." The cuts on her arms healed, but the blood remained.

"What's happening?" Chess asked the demon unsurely. The normally mischievous and carefree vampire had become a bit frightened at the sight she'd just seen. Mirai snapped her eyes to Chess, and cocked her head to the side, eyeing her carefully.

"Humans weren't meant to have mixed blood." Mirai answered carefully. "It tears them apart. She sees things, in her dreams. Things a mortal should never see. Things that might even make you scream in terror, Chess Belle. The horrors of the supernatural world have been forced upon her, and it's eating her alive." She explained. She looked over her bloodied arms, looking to see if the wounds had healed. They had. Not even scars remained this time. Mirai turned to face Crowley with narrowed eyes. "You're making things worse." She accused. He raised an eyebrow, almost mockingly, but he was far too serious for that at the moment.

"How so?" He asked. Mirai walked towards him, stopping right in front of him. She held up her arm, placing it near his mouth. His fangs poked out at the smell of her blood, and his eyes flashed. She stepped back.

"Two different sides are tearing her apart, and you add vampire venom into the mix. It's speeding along the process, making her condition worse."

"What do you mean? Chess asked. "Is Emiko going to die?" Mirai shook her head.

"No. Emiko won't die. The two sides will continue to fight, until one wins. Doesn't matter though; by the time that happens, she'll already be insane."

….

Emiko was avoiding her problems, and she was doing a very good job of it. She sat at the sewing machine in Horn's room, and was currently working on her fifth dress. She'd convinced Chess and Horn to let her make their dresses for banquet coming up. In order to keep herself busy, she'd designed several different kinds for them to choose from. Secretly, she was also making one for herself. She was going to that party, whether they liked it or not. She'd secretly gone into Akihabara and found a shop with all sorts of makeup supplies. She'd found a pair of elven ears that looked just like vampire ears, and a pair of red contacts. She'd also already made her dress; it was a violet dress that had a sweetheart neckline, and hugged her top tightly. It flared out at the waist, with the back hitting the floor in a flurry of ruffles and the front shorter, hitting about mid-thigh. She'd also created purple red ribbons to crawl up her arms, little crystals sewn to them. Into the ruffles of the bottom of the dress, she'd sewn the same small crystals, and they looked beautiful when they caught the light.

It was a beautiful dress; one of her best, in her opinion. Of course, she'd had to hide it the second she'd finished with it; if Chess or Horn wanted it, and discovered it wasn't to their measurements, they were sure to get suspicious.

The dresses she'd created for Chess and Horn were beautiful as well, and just their style. Chess had wanted red, so all of her dresses were in an assortment of red colors ranging from crimson to dark ruby. Horn had wanted a dark blue, so most of her dresses were the color of the night sky.

"How are the dresses coming along?" Horn asked. Emiko twisted her head around to smile at her.

"Great! I'm almost finished with this last one, and then you and Chess will each have three dresses to choose from!" Emiko enthused. Horn nodded. Emiko knew that Horn and Chess had been walking on eggshells ever since that little 'hallucination' incident. She also knew that Mirai had taken over. Emiko remembered bits and pieces about the conversation Chess and Crowley had had with Mirai, but not much. She instead preferred to avoid all of it. Too much was going on, and Emiko just wanted to pretend none of it existed. So, she did.

"How are you feeling?" Horn asked. Emiko shrugged.

"I'm okay." She answered simply.

"Really?" She asked disbelieving. Emiko sighed.

"Of course not." She returned, glancing up at her. "There's a demon living inside of me, she's tearing me apart, and I still don't remember who I am. According to said demon, the two warring sides of me are going to make me gone insane, and there's absolutely nothing I can do about it. But besides that, I'm right as rain." She answered, and returned her attention to the sewing machine. If she wasn't careful, she was going to mess up the dress.

"It's okay to be upset." Horn said. Emiko sighed in frustration.

"You know, Crowley said something like that to me not long ago. Something about 'it's okay to be angry', but it's not. I don't want to be angry, I don't want to be upset, I don't want to be broken by this, but it feels like the universe isn't giving me a choice. I feel like it keeps trying new, different methods to see what will finally make me crack. So, I'm just going to ignore the universe's attempts to piss me off, and hope it gets bored. I mean, that's what you do with bullies, right?" Emiko scoffed at her own ridiculousness. As if that would work, but she was all out of ideas.

"I don't think the universe will handle being ignored very well." Horn replied, a bit of amusement in her tone. Emiko shrugged.

"Well, if you have any other ideas, I'm all ears." She snorted, and finished the dress. She cut the thread and held it up, showing it to Horn. "They're all done! Get Chess, we'll have a fashion show to see which one's you want!" She clapped her hands excitedly. Horn sighed and nodded, leaving to find Chess. It seems she was determined to avoid her problems. Not that Horn blamed her; she would probably want to avoid them too.

The two returned quickly, and tried on their dresses. They liked them with varying degrees, but both found one they loved and wanted to wear to the banquet. Chess threw her arms around Emiko, thanking her. "It's beautiful! I wish you could go with us!" She stressed. Emiko shrugged. She certainly wasn't going to tell her that she was planning on it.

"Oh! I have a special training session! Gotta go!" Emi rushed out the door without another word. Today, Emiko was having a sort of 'test' on her hand to hand combat skills. Since it was one of the skills that had improved the most over the course of her training here, Crowley wanted to know where her abilities now stood. Of course, no matter her score she would continue to learn all types of martial arts to enhance her hand to hand combat skills, but knowing where her abilities lie would help them determine what she should be learning next.

Emiko hurried to her room to change into black yoga shorts and a green tank top, with some tennis shoes. She even pulled her hair up into a ponytail. Normally, that was a big no-no, but she didn't want her long locks getting in the way of her test. She then hurried to the gym, where Crowley and the others were waiting.

Lacus, Rene, and several other city guards stood waiting at the opposite wall. The mats had already been laid out, ready for her test. Crowley waved Emiko over when he saw her, and reluctantly, she approached. When she saw nearby, he motioned towards the city guards waiting at the far wall. "You will fight all of them. If you defeat them, you pass. If you don't, you lose. Simple enough?" He asked. She nodded.

"What happens if I win?" She asked inquisitively. Crowley sent her an amused glance.

"You move on to more difficult lessons." He answered. Emiko scoffed and crossed her arms.

"I mean, what do I gain?" She asked. He cocked his head to the side and watched her.

"This again?" He asked. She nodded.

"If I win, I want to go on a vacation." Emiko announced. He raised an eyebrow.

"A vacation? And where do you want to go?" He asked. Emiko bit her lip. She hadn't thought about that. Then, it came to her.

"I want to go to Yonaha Maehama Beach! In the summer, of course." She explained.

"If you win, you can ask Queen Krul." He said in amusement. Emiko nodded. Krul would most definitely let her go. She approached the mats, and stood staring, waiting at her opponents. Lacus approached first, sending her that cocky grin. He put his hands on her upper arms and she pushed back, using blunt of her palm to hit him flat on the nose, and then hit his chest several times with her elbow. The fight began, the guards attacking, and Emiko defeating them, with more ease than was expected. These were some of the top city guards, Crowley had made sure to get the best, and she was defeating them. Even Rene, who had given her a bit of trouble in the fight, she also defeated. He was amazed at how powerful she had become; only a few months ago she'd barely lasted five minutes in a hand to hand combat fight with Rene, and now she was beating some of the best city guards within seconds.

Within minutes, they were all on the ground, and Emiko had not been kind. In order to defeat some of them, she had broken bones without a second thought. Just as Crowley had taught her; don't be kind when fighting vampires. She was breathing hard as she turned to Crowley, and grinned. "I win!" She yelled, jumping up and down, and doing a little dance. Many of the vampires on the floor groaned in pain, but she ignored them, and skipped over to him, grin as bright as the sun. He'd hadn't seen something that bright in centuries.

"I'm going to talk to Krul right now!" She yelled, and then before another word could be said, she was gone.

Crowley shook his head and laughed.

….

Hey all! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'm trying to level everything going on and not make it too much of one thing or the other quite yet.

Also, since none of you sent me questions (you meanies :P), I'll just be posting from her charahub page questions. Here goes!

 **Emiko was born July 30th.**

 **She's ambidextrous, but prominently left-handed**

 **Emiko is half french, which is where her middle name comes from.**

 **She's fluent in three languages; Japanese, English, and French. She's also conversationalist in German.**

 **Emiko's favorite instrument to play is the harp, and her least favorite is the cello.**

 **Emiko isn't a black belt in any one martial arts. Instead, she learns from all different kinds of Martial arts.**

 **Emiko hates archery because she's not patient enough for it.**

 **Emiko's style of clothing can go from modern casual to frilly lolita in seconds. It all depends on her mood.**

 **Her favorite animal is a dolphin**

 **If Emiko were an animal, she'd be a chipmunk.**

 **Her favorite food is oreos**

 **As a child, Emiko's wish was to be an opera singer when she was older.**

 **Emiko's hogwarts house is actually A hufflepuff.**

 **Her spirit animal is an otter**

 **If she were a MLP character, she would be PinkiePie**

 **Hope you liked these little tidbits! I just think they're fun, and they help give Emiko dimmensions, so I enjoy it!**

 **The fight scene I actually used inspiration from the choreograph fight Amy vs. Many on Youtube. I suggest you check it out, it's pretty cool! Warning, as it is a fight, it's violent. (If you know, you didn't already guess that!)**


	14. Chapter 14

**So...this isn't my best work. I really struggled with this chapter, and I'm not really happy with it, but I've got to move on. I also leave it on a bit of a cliffhanger, but trust that next chapter is action packed and filled with lots of plot. Thanks for reading!**

As usual, Emiko had a plan. It was one of her best, if she thought so herself. She was decked out in a pair of white snow pants and a heavy blue coat. She'd pulled her hair into two low ponytails at the side of her head. She looked adorable. Emiko skipped to Chess' room and barged on in. Chess was sitting at her vanity, brushing her hair. She looked up when she saw Emiko and grinned.

"What's up?" She asked excitedly.

"It's snowing outside." Emiko announced. Chess gave a deadpan look.

"Sanguinem has a ceiling." She reminded her seriously. Emiko rolled her eyes.

"I mean, outside, outside. Get your snow clothes on and get Horn. I'm gathering up Lacus, Rene, Mika, and Crowley." Chess gave her a surprised look.

"You're actually inviting Crowley?" She asked. Emiko scoffed and nodded.

"Yeah. I need to kick his butt in a snowball fight." Emiko answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Chess grinned.

"Alright, go find them. I'll get Horn." She relented. Emiko cheered and rushed out, hurrying to find the others. She found Mika, Lacus, and Rene not far in the barracks only a block away from the house. She told (not invited) them that they were heading outside to play in the snow and have a snowball fight. All except Lacus quickly rejected Emiko's orders. Emiko crossed her arms and gave Rene and Mika a pout, sticking out her bottom lip.

"Rene, I handed you your ass yesterday and you really want to refuse?" Emiko snarked. Lacus laughed out loud, clutching at his sides at Emiko's remark. Rene glowered openly at the short human girl, and looked like he very much wanted a rematch. Emiko took advantage of that. "If you come outside, you'll get a rematch via snowball fight…" Emiko trailed off.

"Fine." He relented, realizing that he wasn't getting out of this. Emiko turned to Mika. He glared at her, and she gave a goofy grin.

"Mika, Mika, Mika…" She trailed off with a sigh. "I have a secret." She said playfully. "Krul told me you're looking for someone." His eyes widened, and then narrowed at her insinuation. "I can help you find them, if you be on my team." She bribed. He continued to glare at her, but she knew she had won. She clapped excitedly. "Great! Meet us outside the gates in Twenty!" Then she hurried back to the house to find the loathed one. The devil himself, Crowley.

She barged into his office, and walked right up to his desk. She slammed her hands down on his desk, and he looked up at her with a grin, already aware he was in for some entertainment. She grinned sweetly. "It's snowy out. We're having a snowball fight. It's you against me, winner earns the title of the most awesome person in the world!" She challenged, pointing at him dramatically.

"Very well." He answered, standing. "Lead the way." She was surprised it was that easy, but she figured Crowley was probably curious to see how this would turn out. Afterall, Emiko had a habit of making things interesting. They all met outside the gates of Sanguinem, where the snow had piled up to two feet. Snow still rained from above.

"Alright!" Emiko yelled, putting her hands on her hips. "We're separating into teams! My team members are Mika, Chess, and Lacus. You get Horn and Rene." She expected him to argue about her choosing the teams, but he didn't. Instead he smiled indulgently, and asked what the bases were. Emiko pointed behind her, claiming that side of the gate as her base. Naturally, Crowley had the other side as his base. "We each have a ten minute grace period to set up our base and prepare ammo. Then, it's all out war!" She shouted and then turned to her team.

"What's the plan boss?" Lacus asked. Mika glared at Lacus, but he simply ignored him. Emiko paced in a militia inspired stance, hands placed behind her back and wearing a strict expression.

"Chess, Lacus, begin on the base. We need a tall wall of Snow as cover. Mika and I will begin making snowballs." She immediately got to work, building snowballs at a breakneck pace, determined to outdo Crowley. She didn't dare look over to see how his side was doing, too focused on making enough ammo. She turned to Mika, and hit his shoulder when she found he wasn't helping. He grumbled and joined her in making snowballs. Emiko turned to check on Lacus' and Chess' work. They were working at high speed, already having build a tall wall of snow that was about half a foot wide. It was perfect cover.

The ten minutes ended too quickly, and Emiko dove behind the wall of snow, arms full of snowballs at the ready. She yelled a battle cry as she stood up, searching for her first target. She caught Rene standing up boredly, and she threw a snowball his way, effectively hitting him in the face. He glared at her hatefully. Emiko smiled sweetly, and threw another snowball. He dodged it, and grabbed snow off the ground, tossing it at her. Emiko dodged.

The fight began, with the rest of Emiko's team and Horn joining the fight. They threw snowball after snowball, and then dodging whenever they could. Emiko had yet to spot Crowley though, and she began to get suspicious. She knew he had something planned, and she needed to hurry to their base if she had a chance of winning. She stooped beneath the wall, and pulled Chess to look at her.

"I'm going to their base! Keep firing and don't let me get pelted!" She warned her. Emiko stood and ran, dodging snowballs as she raced across the clearing towards their base. Horn and Rene focused their attention on Emiko as she approached, but her dodging skills could not be greater. She was nearly to their base, when she was pelted in the head with a snowball. The force was so strong, she actually hit the ground. She laid there, utterly shocked at her defeat. That snowball had come out of nowhere. She sat up, to find Crowley leaning over her, smirking playfully.

"Does this mean I win?" He asked slyly. She glared at him. He laughed and stood up straight, turning to leave. Emiko took that as her chance, and made a snowball and threw it at the back of his head. Surprisingly, it hit. He froze in his spot, and then slowly turned around. Emiko screamed and stumbled to her feet, turning to run. Her back was pelted with snowballs, and she laughed, leaning down to catch more snow in her hand and created another snowball. She tossed it behind her, not stopping to see if it had hit its target. Soon though, she found herself being hit again and again, and she realized that no one person could throw that many snowballs at once. She turned and ate powder. Everything froze as her jaw dropped and she stared at the traitors before her.

"You all teamed up against me!" She shouted in outrage, staring at the amused expressions on each of their faces. After Crowley's initial attack, they had all joined his team. "Traitors!" Emi yelled, and kicked snow up at them. They looked at each other, and then started to throw snowballs at her again. Emiko shrieked and held her hands up in front of her face, blocking.

"Okay, Okay!" She yelled, laughing. "I concede! You win!" She yelled. The hits stopped, and Emiko peaked over her hands, checking to see if they were finished. They seemed to be done, so she lowered her hands to her sides and glared at them. "That was so cheating!" She shouted at them belligerently. Crowley walked forward, and flicked her on the forehead. She leaned back on her heels in surprise. He'd never done that before. Still, she would not be outdone. She gave a battle cry and launched herself at Crowley, effectively tackling him to the ground. She landed atop him, and she held him down by the shoulders.

"I think I win!" she shouted triumphantly, smirking down at him. He quirked an eyebrow, and flipped their positions, with Emiko now lying on the cold snow. She scowled up at him, and sat up, pushing him off of her. "You're annoying." She muttered, but was in too good of a mood to let her grin stay hidden for long. Soon she was smiling and laughing again, and she tossed snow into Crowley's face, laughing even harder. He smiled back at her. A real smile, not a smirk or a grin. A smile that said he enjoyed her company. Her grin faded a little at that realization, and she studied him for a second, trying to find the hidden secret in his expression. She couldn't find one. There was nothing manipulative or sly about the expression. It was genuine, and that made her feel uncomfortable.

Manipulation, cunning, cleverness, all things Emiko had become accustomed to while living in this new world of hers. But real? No, nothing was real anymore for her. Except, that smile was, and it confused her. How did she respond to an honest smile? She didn't know. She decided that instead of being confused, she would fall back into the snow and make a snow angel. That sounded much easier.

"What are you doing?" Chess asked, leaning over Emiko curiously.

"Making a snow angel. Ever made one?" She asked. Chess shrugged.

"As a human child, probably." She answered. Emiko patted the snow beside her. Chess shrugged to herself and lied back on the floor, following Emiko's movements to make her own Snow angel. Emiko stood up then, and took a look at her snow angel. It was was very pretty. She leaned over it, making a small halo atop her head. She smiled in satisfaction.

The fun in the snow was over all too soon. Emiko looked down at the snow angels, and it made her question something. It had been a long time since she'd been to church. At least, she thinks it was. She remembered going every sunday as a child. Emiko didn't consider herself particularly religious. She did believe in god though, and angels. She figured, if demons were real, then angels had to be too.

"Have any of you ever met an angel?" She figured it was a solid question. Afterall, they were all vampires who were hundreds of years old. Well, most of them. That gave them centuries to have met such a creature.

"They don't exist." She was surprised it was Crowley who answered her. She looked at him over her shoulder curiously.

"Of course they exist." She scoffed. He raised an eyebrow. She rolled her eyes. "If demons exist, then angels have to exist." He crossed his arms and smirked at her.

"You believe everything in this world has to have an opposite?" He asked curiously. Emiko shrugged.

"Hmmm…" Emiko trailed off. They were all walking back to Sanguinem now, through the gates and down the stairs. "Not I do believe the things that represent good and evil have opposites."

"What about vampires?" Mika asked. Emiko stopped walking, and gave him an observant look. She seemed to be trying to decide something. Finally, she sighed and shook her head.

"Idiot." She muttered. She turned to face the group of them. "You really believe vampires are all evil?" She asked. He nodded, face serious. She sighed dramatically. "Vampires are about as evil as humans. Which is only relative to who someone decides to be." They all watched her with varying degrees of interest. Despite her attitude, most of them had believed that Emiko truly hated vampires because of what they had done to her. Mika knew different, but only because she had told him so. Crowley found this development interesting. He, like the others, had assumed that Emiko hated vampires. Most humans these days did. She always became angry when someone mentioned drinking her blood, and she had a natural caution to vampires, even if she didn't show it.

So her philosophy surprised him, and even more surprisingly, pleased him.

Chess, Horn, Crowley, and Emiko arrived back at the mansion. They'd parted ways with Mika, Lacus, and Rene not far back, the three of them returning to their guard duties. The three nobles also had work to be done, and so they left Emiko alone. Emiko headed straight for the library.

Emiko didn't use the library often. She wasn't much of a reader. She liked stories, but she preferred to hear them or watch them on the television. It probably came from the fact that Emiko's kanji wasn't the best. She didn't know if she attended classes while in the army, but if she did, she didn't do a very good job of paying attention. Though Japanese was her first language, she could read in french better than in Kanji.

Still, Emiko had been using the library often these past few days. She had been doing all kinds of research. About vampires, demons, the horsemen of the apocalypse, but mostly about demons. She needed to know what Mirai had meant about the two sides of her tearing her apart. Emiko didn't want to go insane, and she had no intention of doing so. She figured with enough effort put in, she could find a way to stop that from happening. She just had to keep searching.

Unfortunately, nothing was helping. Crowley's library didn't have much on demons, and she was starting to get frustrated. The idea did occur to her to find that man, Guren. But she was hesitant. She wasn't sure if she could defeat him in a fight. There was something about him that was...dangerous. She hadn't realized it at the time, but when she was speaking with him, she had been frightened of him.

But, Emiko's need for answers was slowly becoming more important than her fear. Ever since her last episode, she'd been desperate to find a way to survive. She was holding up the pretenses of being okay, but only just. She was scared. She didn't want to go insane. She wanted to live.

The doors to the library creaked open slightly, and Emiko turned to see who had joined her. Crowley walked through the doors, eyes searching for something until they landed on Emiko. "Are you studying?" He seemed amused by the prospect, which annoyed Emiko, but she ignored it. She nodded instead.

"Just trying to find answers. Unfortunately, you don't have many books on demons." She admitted. He nodded and walked further into the room, taking a seat opposite her. His eyes searched over the titles of the books and then looked to her.

"I don't think you'll find any answers in here." He responded. Emiko shrugged and sighed, propping her face up on the palm of her hand. Her relationship with Crowley had changed slightly since their strange flirting. He still found her amusing, and still treated her as entertainment, but he talked to her more like a person now. He'd even actually called her Emiko the other day.

"The freakouts are getting closer and closer together." She pointed out. "If I don't find an answer soon, I might end up in an insane asylum." She felt even more miserable stating it aloud.

"Mirai-" he started, but she cut him off.

"Is a demon." She interrupted with a glare. "The only times Mirai is honest is when it'll benefit her. Besides, she's already said she can't do anything about the state we're in." He grinned, and tisked.

"Demons always know more than they say they do. Let me talk to her." Emiko bit her lip nervously. She was actually considering it. Crowley could be very persuasive, and Emiko knew for a fact that Mirai liked conversing with Crowley. Something about him being 'interesting'. Is that all immortal beings cared about? She supposed it was true. Living so long probably meant you got bored easily.

"Fine." Emiko caved reluctantly. It seems Crowley had been expecting her to give, because he had the pills on him. He pulled out the one that would force Mirai to the surface, but it turns out they didn't need it. The next second he looked up, he met red eyes and white hair with Emiko's face. She was still sitting, and she looked like a mixture between perfectly pleasant and bored. She regarded him curiously with those red orbs.

"You wanted to talk?" She asked lowly. Crowley nodded, and leaned forward.

"You have answers." He stated pleasantly. A ghost of a smirk crossed her lips.

"Perhaps." She answered mysteriously. "What do I get in return?" Crowley smiled eagerly.

"You sound just like her." He responded in amusement. Mirai lifted a brow.

"Really? Maybe Emiko sounds like me." She retorted. Crowley laughed.

"Maybe." He agreed. "But you're getting off topic. What do you want?" He asked. Mirai hummed to herself and leaned back in her chair. She seemed to be thinking about it, but Crowley had a suspicion she already knew what she wanted.

"I want out of this body. Find a way to free me, and i'll answer every question you have."

…

Mirai was no help, as Emiko suspected. Crowley seemed to find her interesting though, which was annoying. Emiko lied back on her bed with a sigh. "Mirai…" Emiko trailed off unsurely. "Can you hear me?" She asked.

 _Of course I can you hear you, idiot._

Emiko nearly fell off the bed. She honestly hadn't been expecting a response, especially not one inside of her head. Emiko's eyes darted around the room, as if expecting to find Mirai hanging around. Of course, that didn't happen. "Can you always hear me?" Emiko whispered unsurely. It was silent for a moment.

 _Yes._

"Awkward. So, you mind telling me how to separate us?" More silence.

 _How is it possible for one human to be so stupid?_

Emiko felt offended. "What does that mean? It's a valid question!" Emiko protested.

 _It means if I actually knew how to do that, I would've already said something._

Oh. That made sense. "Help me out here!" Then, Emiko sighed, laying her arm over her eyes. "I'm so lost. What am I supposed to do? Isn't there anything else I can give you to get some answers?" The silence after went on for so long, Emiko was sure Mirai was ignoring her now. Instead, Mirai replied with some mischief.

 _There is one thing…_

… _._

Emiko freaking hated Mirai. She couldn't understand why she would be so terrible-oh right, she's a demon. Sometimes Emiko forgot that. Emiko headed down the hall with growing dread. She honestly couldn't believe she was doing this. The universe had to be against her.

Emiko knocked hesitantly on Crowley's office door. She didn't wait for a response, and instead walked right in. Crowley sat behind his desk, looking over paperwork as usual. He looked up when she entered. "Yes-" Emiko didn't give him a chance to finish his sentence. She marched right over to him, sat down on the edge of his desk, and pulled him into a heated Kiss. The kiss lasted mere seconds, and Emiko pulled away as fast as she had gone in. Crowley, was caught in a rare moment of surprise.

Emiko's cheeks blazed and she promptly punched him. She huffed in annoyance and stood, storming out of his office, slamming the door closed behind her. Crowley stared at the door, and then shook his head. "A thousand years, and women still make no sense." He murmured with a bit of a chuckle, and then returned to his work.

Emiko stomped down the hallway, muttering to herself (well, to herself to anyone who came across her, she was actually cursing Mirai) as she returned to her room. She slammed that door shut too, and lunged for her bed, hugging her pillow.

"Mirai, I hate you!" Emiko yelled. She kicked her feet repeatedly.

 _Don't pretend you didn't enjoy it._

Mirai's voice was smug. Emiko wished she had a physical form, so she could punch her too. Emiko glared at the wall, and then punched it. She broke a hole through the pretty pink wall, but it definitely made Emiko feel better. "I wish that was your face." Emiko muttered. She heard Mirai's haunting laugh.

 _Oh come now, don't you want answers?_

Emiko bit her lip. She did want to get answers, but she was so embarrassed and angry at the moment. She wanted to tell Mirai to fuck off, but she didn't think that would get her anywhere. So, with some work, she calmed her temper and sighed.

"Alright. Tell me."

 _Close your eyes. I'm going to show you how we became like this._

Emiko closed her eyes.


	15. Chapter 15

**_This chapter is extremely short (at least in my opinion...) but it's filled with tons and tons and tons of plot. In fact, it's all plot. It's very dramatic, and very dark. It took me a while to get to this point, for two reasons. 1) It needed more lead up than I was originally going to give it. 2) I was in a dark place in the middle of this story and still kind of am, so writing about that kind of stuff probably would've made me had a panic attack. Fortunately, I'm getting better and it doesn't really affect me all that much, if at all. I have more to say, but I'm going to say it at the bottom, so as not to give things away. Enjoy!_**

 _Emiko was sitting in a simple wooden chair, arm resting on a medical table. Guren Ichinose stood not far away, clipboard in hand. He was looking something over with keen interest. He turned to Emiko, and smiled. She returned the smile, albeit a bit reluctantly. She wasn't sure how she felt about this. Guren promised her he'd found a way to stop the nightmares, but she was always a bit concerned when it involved needles and science labs._

" _Ready to be free of Nightmares?" He asked. Emiko took in a deep breath, to calm herself, and then nodded. She needed to do this. She had to be free, or there would be nothing of her left. A lab assistant entered the room soon after, motioning for Emiko lie on the gurney. She did as instructed. What she wasn't ready for were the binds on her wrists and legs._

 _Emiko craned her head up, eyes alarmed. Panic started to set into her veins. "What are you doing?" She asked, pulling at the cuffs on her wrists. The lab assistant looked to Emiko with emotionless eyes._

" _The tests can be quite painful, we don't want you accidentally injuring someone." Emiko's eyes widened and she fought harder against the binds._

" _Tests? No, i'm not here for tests! I'm here to get rid of the nightmares! Where is Guren? I need to talk to Guren!" She fought vigorously against the binds, and several other lab assistants entered the room, pressing Emiko down onto the gurney. They began to wheel her out of the room, and down towards the locked double doors. "Let me off! Let me off! Guren! Guren!" She screamed, fighting with everything she had. She even tried to use her electricity generation, but it seems they'd been prepared for that._

 _It seems the shot they'd given her earlier was weakening her, and making her tired. Emiko blinked heavily, trying to fight the sedative. "Guren!" She half-yelled, eyes searching for him. As they entered the double doors, Guren stood waiting in the hallway. Their eyes locked. Emiko felt a sense of relief. "Guren! Make them let me up! I don't know what's going on!" She explained, pushing against the restraints again. She expected Guren to order the lab assistants to undo her binds and let her up, but he didn't._

 _Instead, he watched as they wheeled her down the hallway, eyes never leaving hers. Their was a lack of emotion in his eyes that told Emiko the truth; he was behind this. Emiko screamed and fought, desperate to get away. The betrayal and pain pierced her heart like a knife. "Guren! Guren! Guren, what's going on? Why are you doing this? Guren!"_

…

 _The pain was indescribable, on both ends. Sharp, burning agony that made Emiko writhe against the metal bed. Her screams could be heard across the entire unit. She had long since stopped begging someone to help her, and instead merely screamed from the pain._

 _The pain Mirai felt was just as bad as Emiko's. The merging of their souls into one body was not a pleasant process, as the both of them had learned over the past two days. Experiment after experiment with no rest or breaks had left both of them exhausted. Emiko's chest heaved with the pain it took to breathe, and she constantly felt like she was deprived of oxygen._

 _Guren had checked in only twice that Emiko remembered, looking just as emotionless as he had the first time, not that Emiko cared. Every time she saw him burning rage built within her chest, and the urge to turn him to ashes was strong. She would never forgive him for this. He had been her savior, her protector, and now, he was her enemy. A traitor._

 _The word rang through both of their minds. Traitor, traitor, traitor, traitor…_

 _The pain and rage clashed, and Mirai and Emiko both screamed as their souls merged, turning into a twisted mixture of light and dark inside one human body. A mixture of light and darkness engulfed the room. Equipment bent and broke, windows and glass shattered. The binds keeping Emiko to the metal table broke._

 _Except, it was no longer just Emiko. Torture and Rage had finally bound the two souls into something monstrous, something twisted and painful. Emiko's blonde hair had turned stark white. Her once pretty blue eyes became evil crimson orbs. She looked like what she become; a mixture of two opposites never meant to bond together._

 _At this moment, Emiko and Mirai were one being. One mind set, one goal. Revenge. Destruction. Retribution. Pain. They would pay. Especially him, especially Guren. Traitor._

 _Emiko stood from the metal bed, eyes observing the room. They darted towards the door. Darkness pooled at her feet and moved towards the door. It cringed and bent, until it became a pile of twisted metal on the floor. Emiko stepped over it, and walked into the hallway. Anyone who crossed Emiko's path faced the power of her anger. She destroyed everything in her path, bent on causing just as much pain on them as she'd been dealt. There was no mercy, no acts of compassion to be given._

 _They had created a monster. Now they would face its wrath._

 _She made it through the entire lab without catching sight of her main target. The traitor. She would find him. She would make him pay. It was the only thing that mattered anymore. She exited the lab, only to come across cars filled with soldiers, aiming guns at her. They wasted no time in firing at her, but no bullets hit her. They bounced off of an invisible wall in front of her, heading back towards the soldiers. Her eyes searched the ranks of them, but he was still nowhere to be found._

 _She destroyed them all, and moved on. She was wandering a ruined city, eyes peeled for Guren. She would find him. She was convinced he could not hide forever, and she would continue to kill and destroy until he showed himself._

 _Finally, he did. In the ruined streets of Shinjuku, he appeared, red blade in hand. The same shadowy darkness grew at his feet as it did at hers. The two approached each other, showing their demons. "Stop this, Emiko." His voice was cold, calculating. The demon was just as much in control as hers was. "You never liked killing. Look at what you've done. Stop this. Go back to the lab. I'll let you live." Emiko laughed harshly, the echoes of the demon hidden in the undertone._

" _Guren." That was Mirai speaking, her tone as cold and evil as his had been. "Such arrogance. I'll show you what happens when you mess with me." Darkness materialized into a sword in her hand, and the two launched themselves at each other. They fought like the demons they were, their speed and strength unparalleled._

 _Emiko's sword dug into Guren's side, sending him flying back and into the harsh ground. She chased after him, stopping as she stood above him. She pointed the sword of darkness at his head, sneering coldly. "Die, you evil traitor." She snarled and pulled the sword back, preparing for the final blow._

" _Emi!" Guren looked up at her with sadness and guilt. Emiko's eyes flashed blue, and her hold on the sword wavered. He took that as his chase, hitting her with the blunt of his sword at full strength. Emiko went flying into an abandoned car garage, hitting into a concrete pillar. The pillar cracked, and she fell to the floor in a mixture of dust and rubble._

 _Everything fell black from there._

…

The rage, once craftily hidden deep inside of Emiko, now surfaced once more. She stormed off of the bed and towards her closet, yanking open the doors and walking inside. She grabbed her military uniform, and pulled it on. She ran a hand through her hair, now streaked with white, and pulled it up into a ponytail. He was going to pay.

She placed her whip at her side, and her guns in their holsters. She then headed for the gym. Anyone who saw her quickly turned to walk in the opposite direction, the strange streaks in her hair and the fact that one of her eyes was vibrant red a bit daunting.

In the gym, Emiko spared no time grabbing a sword and placed it at her side. She also placed a knife in her boot, just in case. Not that she'd need it; she didn't even any weapons. She was positive her rage was enough to win her any fight.

Emiko headed towards the exit. She luckily ran into no nobles, though she doubted they would've been able to stop her. She headed straight for the exit to Sanguinem. "Emiko?" Emiko froze at the sound of her name, but soon continued walking. She didn't have time for anyone else. "Emiko!" The annoying voice spoke again. Emiko ignored it.

Lacus stepped out in front of Emiko, blocking her path. He watched her with a mixture of caution and confusion. Emiko ground her teeth together. "Get out of my way." She ordered coldly. Lacus blinked in surprise. He'd never heard Emiko speak in such a tone, not even when Mirai had fully taken control. Now, it looked like...it was halfway. Like both of them were in control at the same time, and they looked murderous.

"What's going on?" Lacus asked again. Emiko sighed. She didn't have time for this. She pulled a gun out of it's holster and shot him in the leg. Lacus yelped in surprise and hit the floor. Emiko stepped around him, and continued her walk towards the exit with no further distractions.

Emiko left the city, and headed into the deserted district of Shinjuku. Emiko remembered exactly where that lab was, and headed straight for it. It was well hidden, but this time her memory served her well. She descended the stairs into the compound. The place was deserted. It seems that after her escape, the lab had been shut down or moved somewhere else. Emiko didn't blame them; she'd made a mess of the place.

Emiko didn't know the layout of the labs too well, but she remembered the way to the room she'd been in. Looking back on it now, she wondered how she could've ever forgotten. What she went through there had been pure hell. It felt like she'd been burning alive from the inside out. She was starved, deprived of sleep, and water. She honestly didn't know how her body had held out two and a half days.

Everything was the same as when she left. The cuffs they'd placed on her, broken on the floor. The window that had been in the door, now a shattered mess on the floor. The metal door bent and broken beyond repair. Medical supplies bent, anything that could be broken, broke. The lights were out, shattered just like the window. This place haunted her. Emiko thought there was nothing more traumatizing than the memory of her parents murder; she had been wrong. Terribly so.

Emiko trailed her hands along the metal table. It was the only thing that was still intact after their souls had merged. She hated it. Emiko slammed her fist down against the table, leaving a large dent in it. She did it again and again. She wanted to burn this entire place to the ground, and watch it burn. She was so caught up in what she was doing, she hadn't heard him enter the room.

"This is the lab where they experimented on you, isn't it?" Crowley spoke casually, but even Emiko could hear the hidden seriousness in his voice. Crowley did not find this something to be 'casual' about, no matter what his tone may have said.

"You knew?" Emiko asked, her voice uncharacteristically apathetic.

"I suspected, as did Krul. Krul didn't want it brought up, in case it was something painful to you." Emiko wasn't angry; in fact, she might've felt a little touched at Krul's actions to protect her, if she didn't feel so much anger and hatred at the moment.

"That was probably wise." Emiko responded coldly. She traced her fingers over the dents she had put in the table. "I wish I didn't remember."

"What did they do to you?" He asked. Emiko stiffened. She gripped the edge of the table tightly, her fingers turning white. She let go of it suddenly, and turned to Crowley. Even he was surprised by the hatred in her eyes. Emiko pointed a finger at the broken cuffs on the ground.

"They cuffed me to that table. Then they tortured me. They kept injecting something into my blood. I didn't figure it out until they brought Mirai in though. You see, they were reaching deep inside of my consciousness, of my soul. They were looking for Mirai. When they brought her forward, they tortured her too. They didn't just want us bound in a contract. They wanted our souls to be like one. The perfect monster. You've seen how dangerous we can become, imagine if they'd been able to make more of us. Vampires might've actually been in trouble." She let out a harsh laugh.

She turned to the table and kicked it as hard as she could. It flew into the back wall, bending in a strange way. She didn't stop there though. She let out a scream of rage, and turned to the wall, kicking it over and over. She needed something to break, something to be destroyed. The anger inside of would not be quelled otherwise.

She was crying now, and she pulled at the roots of her hair, needing something real to grasp onto, something painful, something tangible. Pain was tangible, it was real. She sobbed, tears turning her cheeks into rivers. Her memories, her terrible memories, felt like a horrible, twisted nightmare. They taunted her, traumatized her, tore her apart inside until she was sure she was going insane.

Crowley gripped her shoulders, and whirled her around. Emiko's turned her tear filled eyes to his. His eyes were deadly serious. He continued to hold her shoulders, keeping her rooted to the spot. "It's over. The battle is over." She shook her head continually.

"It-it's not! It's not! It keeps replaying, it keeps going and going-it won't stop! I want to forget, I want to forget!" Crowley's eyes softened into something akin to kindness.

"You can't forget. Accept it, Emiko. It's the only way to end the torture." His voice was uncharacteristically soft and genuine. Her shoulders heaved with the panicked breaths she was taking. She held his gaze, and he could tell she was fighting to accept it, to come to terms with what had happened to her. Another sob broke free of her lips, and she dove towards him, wrapping her arms around his middle and burying her face into his chest.

He let her hold onto him. He would not tease or taunt her about this later, he would never even mention it again. He may have been a vampire, and she a human, but they both understood pain. At that, they were the same.

….

 **So...yeah. Intense. I wanted to point out a few things; first, we will be going into Crowley's past. Even before we knew about it, I had planned to do something, and I had a pretty good idea of what his past life as a human was like, due to his character now. Building a romance, you go into pasts, it just happens. We won't go too far into it, but it will be brought up in future chapters. Kind of going with that, if you think Crowley is uncharacteristically kind in this chapter, imagine the amount of knowledge he has on what Emiko is feeling. His life wasn't rainbows and sunshine either, he knew pain, pain just like what Emiko was experiencing. Crowley may not be the nicest person, But I don't think he's complete evil either. For that reason, I didn't think he'd react coldly to the situation at all.**

 **Thirdly, Emiko will be facing this battle for the coming chapters, as well as the other stuff that's she's been avoiding, so expect that.**

 **Despite the depressing and dark turn this chapter took, I hope you enjoyed learning more about the plot and Emiko! That sounds terrible...but well...you know what I mean!**

 **Please review, follow, and favorite! It makes me smiley, and very, very motivated to update! Obviously, I'll update anyway, but I do update sooner when I feel like people want me to write. Thanks for reading!**


	16. Chapter 16

This wasn't like the last times she'd shut down. She didn't hide or lock herself away. She didn't talk either. She spent a lot of time reading. You found her in the library quite often. Apparently, she wasn't the best at reading, because she spent a lot of time on children books. You also found her watching movies, old westerns of course. She didn't laugh at them anymore though. She didn't smile. She didn't pull pranks. She didn't even play music anymore, which was perhaps the scariest thing about her condition.

Music had always been her escape. What did it mean now, when she wasn't even using her escape to escape? She refused to go to practices as well. Well, refuse wasn't the right word. She'd show up, if you told her too. If you told her to run, she'd run. If you told her to lift weights, she'd lift weights. Even if you told her to do archery, she'd do it without a single complaint.

But she was so unresponsive to everything. Crowley finally canceled all future practices because she wasn't getting anything out of it anyway. It was like she was on autopilot. She'd become a recluse inside her own mind. Crowley could tease her, mock her, and he would get no response.

Emiko wasn't Emiko anymore. No one but Crowley and Emiko knew about what was truly going on, but they all knew that whatever had happened, had a very powerful effect on Emiko. For someone with such a strong personality to become a mere husk of themselves, you had to wonder what had happened. Chess once asked Emiko, but all she got was a blank stare. Then, Chess asked Crowley. Crowley informed Chess that it was not her business, and to stay out of it. So, they were all left completely unaware and incapable of helping. It was a frustrating experience for everyone.

Finally, something had to be done. Chess and Horn didn't want to go behind Crowley's back, but their worry for Emiko had convinced them to disobey his orders-for once. A message was sent to Krul, explaining the situation, and emphasising on the only two people who had answers. Krul showed up the same day, a set look on her face.

She did not look happy. She walked right into Crowley's office, and glared at him. "Why wasn't I informed of Emiko's condition?" She demanded. Crowley looked up from his desk, a bored look on his face. He didn't seem to have any desire to have this conversation, though he looked as if he'd been expecting it.

"There's nothing you can do." He responded, looking back down to his papers. Krul's glare intensified and she stormed across the room, until she stood beside him. She slammed a fist down onto his desk, promptly splitting it into two.

"Tell me what's going on." Krul ordered coldly. Crowley turned to face her, raising an eyebrow.

"She remembered her experimentation." Nothing else needed to be said. Krul continued to glare at crowley for several more seconds, but then she sighed and looked away.

"How bad was it?" She asked.

"Why don't you see her and find out?" Krul decided to do just that. She sought Emiko out, finding her in the library. She was huddled into a chair, leaning over a book.

"What are you reading?" Krul asked. Emiko paused, looked up, blinked at Krul, and then looked back down at her book. Krul approached, looking over Emiko's shoulder. Krul smiled. She knew that book. It was the old fairytale Cinderella. Krul took the book from Emiko's hands and set it on the coffee table nearby. "Why won't you speak?" Krul asked. Emiko shook her head. Krul sighed. "Okay, what do you want?" She asked. Emiko gave her a scrutinizing look. "Should we kill the humans? Destroy their labs? What is it that will end this behavior?" Emiko looked like she sighed.

Emiko stood and left the room. Krul stared as she left, and then shook her head. She returned to Crowley's office. "Why is she like that?" Krul demanded. Crowley looked up at her, and then returned his attention to his papers.

"She didn't specify, but I believe it has something to do with betrayal." Krul was confused by that.

"I thought she was tortured?" Krul asked in frustration. Crowley nodded.

"She was." He answered simply. Krul stood in silence, waiting impatiently for him to explain further. Finally, Crowley sighed. Though he would never admit it aloud, he found there queen to be a bit tiring at times. And though she understood pain, this was one pain she was not accustomed too. He finally looked up at her. "Emiko is the strongest human i've ever met. Do you really think torture could shut her down like this?" Krul was quiet, because she had to agree with him. Emiko was tough, maybe not the toughest human like he thought, but torture wouldn't ruin her. But, something like betrayal, to someone so loyal like Emiko, that could break her down. The realization angered Krul. There was someone in that lab that Emiko had trusted, trusted with her life. That trust had been cruelly ripped away from her. Krul understood now; that was the greatest torture of all.

There was no other option but for Krul to leave. Trauma of the body healed with time. Trauma of the mind wasn't so simple, especially when someone's trust had been lost. She would have to wait, and see if Emiko would come out of this.

Weeks went by, without a change. Many different methods were tried to bring the old Emiko back; Chess and Horn pulled a prank on her by filling her closet with cosplays. Emiko merely walked out in her pajamas, and stole clothes from Chess' room until they put them back. At least they knew she wasn't so far gone that she would willingly wear sexy cosplays around the house though.

Crowley forced practices again, which worked to an extent. She showed up, she sparred, she practiced, but it wasn't enjoyable. He didn't have any fun picking on her because she didn't react. He eventually ended up just leaving practices to city guards because it wasn't entertaining at all anymore.

Crowley was at his endgame with this one. If this plan didn't work, nothing would. Emiko was walking down the hall, towards the library. Crowley was waiting at the end of the hall, in the door of the library. As she walked towards him, he grabbed her, pulled her close, and sunk his teeth into her neck. It happened so fast that he expected a delayed reaction, but instead he got...no reaction.

He pulled back, giving her a look of confusion. She stared back at him. "If you want to bite me, I'll let you." Her words and her voice surprised him.

"You spoke." He said calmly. She shrugged.

"I'm not mute. I just don't trust anyone enough to speak to them." Well, that explained that. It seems his theory on why she'd shut down was correct as well. He raised an eyebrow at her, leaning on the doorframe and crossing his arms.

"You're speaking to me." He pointed out. She shrugged again.

"I don't trust you." She answered flatly, eyes cold. "But...I know you. That makes you a little more trustworthy than the others." He sent her an amused glance.

"Know me?" He asked. She rolled her eyes.

"Don't give me that look. Yes, I don't 'know' you. But I know your character. I know what drives you. I know what you want. And I'll give it to you." She pulled the hair from her neck, revealing the place he had bitten her. His eyes gleamed, and he moved towards her neck immediately. She held up a finger to stop him. "I only want one thing." She negotiated. He motioned for her to continue. "Don't be my enemy." His smirk fell and he nodded, giving her a serious look. She let her hand drop and he leaned in to drink.

…

Things got a little better after that. She started talking to Crowley now, though she still refused to speak to everyone else, Chess and Horn included. Crowley drank from her nearly every day, and not once did she ever complain. In a strange way, the two had a more casual relationship. Emiko still didn't trust him, that was clear. But, he had promised her that in exchange for her blood he would not be her enemy, and she trusted him enough to keep his promise. She knew how much he craved her blood; at any signs of deceit she'd take it away. He knew that too.

Emiko spent a lot of time hanging out in his office. Apparently, the library was 'stuffy' and 'boring', and she'd watched all the western films they had. He suggested she go back to playing instruments, and she promptly told him to mind his own fucking business. She no longer had any subtlety when speaking with him; that was another thing that had changed. Not that he minded; he found it pretty funny when he saw such a short, formally peppy human swear like a sailor.

Currently, they were sitting in his office. He was working on the normal, and she was sitting in a chair opposite his desk, reading Cinderella. For some reason, she had become quite attached to the fairytale. Something about 'happy endings' and 'pretty dresses'. She was getting quite bored though. Reading the fairytale over and over was no longer fun. She snapped the book shut with a sigh and turned to Crowley.

"I'm bored." She announced. He glanced up at her.

"What would you like me to do about it?" He asked in a pleasantly sarcastic tone.

"I'm going to go find some video games." She decided, standing up. They didn't have any game consoles, but she could find some of those while she was out as well. Honestly, she didn't know why she hadn't thought of this earlier. They had tv-they could definitely have video games. Emiko stood, moving towards the door.

"Wait." Crowley called, standing up. Emiko turned to look at him. He smiled pleasantly. She hated that smile. "I want a drink." And that was why. Emiko didn't object though. She rolled her eyes and moved back towards him, pulling her hair up so it was out of the way. Crowley watched her neck greedily as she moved towards him. When she was close enough, he gripped her wrist and pulled her towards him, wrapping one arm around her waist and using the other to cup her face. He sank his teeth into her neck and began to drink.

Emiko stood perfectly still. Emiko would die before she admitted it, but the bite didn't hurt anymore. It actually felt kind of...good? She didn't know why, but she didn't like it. It didn't escape Emiko's notice that Crowley still looked at her like he wanted her sometimes. And though he hadn't forced himself on her, or made any other moves, Emiko had no interest in tempting him further. Plus, if Crowley knew the bite felt good, he might do it even more often, just to get a rise out of her. During their time together, it had become clear to Emiko that he liked irritating her, just as much as she liked irritating him. Her attitude lately hadn't changed that. He still said things and gave her certain looks just to piss her off.

Emiko thought about putting more pigs blood in his rooms heating vent, but decided against it. She no longer had Chess and Horn to protect her, and though he never actually admitted when he was irritated with her, she could definitely tell by the payback.

He pulled back, and Emiko stood still for a few seconds longer before moving. She'd learned that if she moved too quickly after being bitten, she might fall over. And hearing Crowley laugh as she hit the floor was by far the most irritating thing about him. It made her want to punch him, repeatedly. Of course, she always wanted to punch him, so she supposed that wasn't anything new.

Positive she wouldn't fall, Emiko turned on her heel and left the room. She walked down the hallway towards her room to change. In truth, she'd kind of been hanging out in her pajamas all day. Seeing as she no longer cared what these blood suckers thought of her, she didn't really care to put all that much effort into her appearance.

She changed out of her pj's and into a pair of jeans and a form fitting long sleeved shirt. It was pretty cold out. She also pulled on a pair of boots and a jacket, and then headed out, heading towards the exit of Sanguinem. On her way there she ran into Mika, who was taking his turn patrolling the city. He stopped when he saw her, and Emi scowled. He changed directions, heading straight for her. Emiko tried to ignore him, and simply keep walking towards the exit of the city.

"Still ignoring everyone?" He asked. Why did everyone have to be so annoying? Before, when Emiko actually would've liked talking to Mika, he wouldn't have given her the time of day. Now, he was the one following her around. She didn't respond, so Mika continued. "You're such a hypocrite." Emiko glanced at him from the corner of her eye. She wanted to yell at him, but she didn't. Yet.

"Why?" She asked flatly. He looked slightly surprised that she'd even responded. She didn't bother addressing that though, and instead prompted him to answer her question.

"When we first spent time together, you said that even though vampires had hurt you, you didn't hate them. But now, you hate everything. Humans, vampires, you won't even talk to Krul." He responded. Emiko sighed. Is that what everyone thought? That she hated them?

"I don't hate everyone." Emiko answered. "I just don't trust anyone. Can you blame me? I was betrayed by someone I trusted more than anyone in the world. If I can be betrayed by someone I trusted that much, then I can be betrayed by anyone, especially vampires I've only known for a couple of months." Mika was silent for a while, mulling over her words.

"So...do you remember everything?" He asked. She shook her head.

"No. But I remember that I trusted him, with all my heart. He was like family, he even admitted it when I saw him on my last mission. Mirai is holding my memories back." Mika glanced at her in confusion.

"She can do that?" He asked. Emiko shrugged.

"Apparently. There's something she doesn't want me to remember. But I don't really care anymore. I don't want my memories. Remembering the people I loved, and then realizing I'd been betrayed by them, well, that's more pain than I want to experience."

…

Emiko did indeed find video games. Lots of Video games, and consoles. She hooked up a PS3 in the tv room, and no one saw her for two days, not even Crowley. He did try to enter the room and get a drink, but the sleep deprived look and the string of curse words and controllers she threw at him caused him to retreat. As such, both of them were very, very grumpy the next day. She was sleep deprived, and he was...blood...deprived? Emiko didn't know and she didn't care. All she knew was she'd lost the same mission five times in a row, and shewas pissed off enough to leave her bungalow in the tv room.

She had dark circles under her eyes and a sour look on her face. She'd also been bundled up in blankets and her own sweat for two days, so she was also kind of gross. That was a given when you got addicted to Grand theft auto though. She trudged into the kitchen, ready to punch anyone who spoke to her. Luckily, no one was in there, and she was able to eat an omelet in peace. She was just getting up to leave, when Horn and Chess walked through the door. Emiko took one look at their faces, and started to back up. They stalked after her. She glared at them warningly.

"I haven't slept in over forty-eight hours, I'm warning you I will snap you like a twi-ahhh!" Chess grabbed Emiko's arm and raced off down the hallway, Horn following after. They ran all the way to Chess' room, and once inside, Horn stood in front of the door, blocking Emiko's only escape route. She glared at them heatedly.

"Sleeeeep~!" Emiko whined, stomping her foot like a three year old. Normally, she wouldn't talk to them for any reason. She didn't want to get attached to anyone else just to be betrayed again. But, the lack of sleep made it so she didn't care. Chess and Horn grinned.

"But what about the nobles banquet tonight?" Emiko froze. She'd actually forgotten all about it. However that didn't change how badly she wanted to go. The old Emiko loved parties, mostly because she got to be the center of them usually. And though a lot about Emiko had changed in just a short number of weeks, that part of her hadn't. She wanted to dance and eat yummy food and drink expensive wine and look pretty.

"I thought I wasn't allowed to go?" Emiko asked, crossing her arms. Oh, she was going. But that didn't mean she wouldn't give the two of them a little crap first. Chess jumped up and down.

"Well, you've been ignoring us, and we saw that dress you made. So, we've decided we're going to sneak you in. I mean, really, if anything goes wrong, there's a whole lot of progenitors who are willing to fight for you. Me and Horn will, obviously. Crowley will because you're too amusing to let go of and he likes your blood too much. Krul will, because you're her favorite new toy. Even Ferid might, given how he likes drama and being part of it. Plus, you can pretty much take care of yourself. And, if things get desperate, you can just use Mirai." Chess shrugged. Even in her sleep deprived state, Emiko could see the holes in that plan. Fortunately, she didn't care.

"When is it?" She asked, biting her lip. She hated to give in. Chess' grin grew.

"Tonight. Which is why you need to take a very long shower to get rid of that smell-"

"Hey!"

"-And then Horn and I will help you do hair and makeup, and we found those red eye contacts and ear prosthetics, so we'll put those on you and we'll all get dressed up and it will be so much fun!" Chess was jumping up and down excitedly. Emiko was forcing down a smile, but she was pretty sure Horn caught it.

"Okay, but how am I going to stay awake? I haven't slept!" Emiko points out in frustration. Chess and Horn shared a look.

"We could give you a couple drops of our blood? Vampire blood, in very small doses, won't turn a human, just give them lots of energy." Horn explained. Emiko didn't know if she liked that idea very much, but it was all they had. She shrugged. Chess bit her wrist and then held it out towards Emiko. Emiko looked at her wrist, and then at her and raised an eyebrow.

"That's disgusting." Emiko informed. Chess rolled her eyes.

"Do you want it or not?" She asked. Emiko groaned and grabbed her wrist. She dangled it over her mouth, letting a few drops fall into her mouth. It did not taste good. Emiko made a disgusted face, and shook her head repeatedly. Fortunately, Chess had not been lying about the energy part. Already Emiko felt like she could outrun a horse.

"Should we get ready? Let's get ready! We should definitely get ready!" Emiko spoke fast, the words almost becoming a jumbled mess leaving her lips. Chess and Horn shared an amused look, and then sent Emiko to shower. Emiko saluted them and then took off, racing down the halls towards her room. She took the quickest shower of her life, and changed into some leggings and a camisole. She would change into her dress after makeup.

She headed back to Chess' room, and found that they'd set up an array of makeup and tools on the vanity. They even had a face steamer, which was probably for the bags under her eyes. They got to work, fixing any blemishes on her face and then doing some amazing makeup. Emiko wasn't good enough at makeup to do a smokey cat eye, but Horn was, and it was beautiful! Emiko stared at it in awe. She moved to touch it, but Horn smacked her hand away.

"Don't ruin my masterpiece." She chided. Emiko pouted. She finished off her makeup with a pretty dark red lip. Her hair was finished as well, her wavy blonde hair now placed in an elegant curled side bun, with a few curly strands framing her face. Once that was finished, Emiko got dressed while Chess and Horn got themselves ready.

She looked in the full length mirror. She thought she looked pretty. Not as pretty as a vampires, obviously, but Chess and Horn had done a good job of getting close, although the red eyes and ear prosthetics were a bit strange. She was worried one of her ears might fall off at some point, but she pushed the thought from her mind. She didn't need that kind of negativity in her life.

"I think I'm ready." She said to her mirror self.

She stepped out of the room and looked for Horn and Chess. They were ready as well, each wearing the dresses Emiko had made. "Let's go!" Emiko said excitedly. Although she'd calmed significantly from the Vampire blood, it was still running through her system. She was just a little hyper.

They left the room and headed towards the main entrance. Crowley was already waiting for them, looking bored. He turned to face them at the sound of their footsteps, surprise showing on his features when he saw Emiko. Emiko grinned. "I know, right? I look amazing!" She gushed. Slowly, Crowley smirked, and an amused chuckle left his lis. He turned his attention to Chess and Horn.

"Let's go." He ordered. They all left the mansion together, walking down the streets of Sanguinem towards Krul's castle. They were about a half hour late, because Emiko was a lot slower than them. Still, no one questioned them as they arrived, probably already knowing Crowley's personality.

No one paid any attention to Emiko. That was both a blessing and curse; Emiko had an uncontrollable desire to be the center of attention, however she also knew that drawing attention to herself here was a very bad idea. She was conflicted.

"Emiko!" Oh no. Emiko had completely forgotten about Ferid's offer several weeks back, after the whole 'remembering being tortured' fiasco. Emiko had half a mind to just to ignore him, but had a feeling he'd oust her as a human if she did. Reluctantly, Emiko turned to face him, forcing a smile onto her face.

"Ferid." She greeted. He smiled slyly at her. It was clear he knew she wasn't happy to see him, but as usual, he said nothing about it. She was sure he got that reaction a lot. "It's been a while." She said, after being at a loss of what to say. He laughed.

"Yes, it has. I heard about your...breakdown. I hope everything is better now?" He asked lightly. Emiko couldn't help it; she scowled. She crossed her arms and gave him a look of defiance.

"No, I'm afraid being tortured kind of traumatizes you just a little." She said sarcastically. She wanted, just once, for Ferid to show some emotion other than amusement. She wanted him to be angry, to yell at her. Of course, he did none of those things. He merely continued to smile pleasantly, knowing he'd gotten her worked up. Asshole. "Did you want anything? Or can I leave?" She snapped. His smirk grew, and she knew he was holding back another laugh. She wanted to yell at him, but her pride wouldn't let her.

"By all means, don't let me ruin your fun." Emiko just wanted it on record, that if she could stake him, she would. She stormed off, already feeling like the party has been ruined. What made it worse is, there weren't any refreshments. She probably should've realized that earlier, considering she was going to a vampire party.

But worst of all, there was no alcohol. Emiko wasn't a heavy drinker; she didn't get drunk just to get drunk, but it currently sounded like an awesome idea. She was annoyed, the vampire blood in her system was starting to wear off, and she was extremely tired. This had been a bad idea.

Knowing the only way she was going to survive this night was some form of alcohol, Emiko left the hall and headed for the basement. She didn't have much hope that there would be a wine cellar or anything, given this is a vampire's house, but Emiko found herself pleasantly surprised.

There was a wine cellar. Filled with old, exotic wines. Emiko grabbed three bottles and took a seat on the floor. She was getting buzzed, right now, whether anyone liked it or not. She popped open the first bottle and started to drink.

With some hindsight, getting drunk at a vampire party where you're pretending to be a vampire so you don't get killed isn't such a good idea. Emiko stumbled down the halls of the mansion, bottle of wine in hand. She sang an old rhyme from her childhood, laughing every so often.

Anyone who came across her stared in confusion, but none stopped her. "Emi?" Emiko stopped, turning around. Chess was standing in the doorway of the banquet hall, looking a little worried. A giggle burst from Emiko's lips, and she leaned over, grabbing her knee as she laughed. "Emi! Are you...drunk?" Chess asked slowly. Emiko laughed harder. She ended up falling back on her ass, which only made her laugh more.

"Maybe…" Emiko trailed off, and then hiccuped. Chess stared at her for several long moments, trying to decide what to do. She considered knocking her out and leaving her in a closet until the party was over, but quickly dismissed that. She was trying to win Emiko back, not ruin their rocky friendship. Her other option was to find Horn and get her to deal with it. Chess decided that was a good plan.

"Okay, come with me." Chess sighed, giving Emiko a hand. Emiko giggled and took her hand, standing up. She wobbled, but didn't fall. Chess lead her into the banquet, hoping no one would notice her drunken state. Luckily, everyone was pretty busy in small talk, so not many people noticed Emiko.

Horn was standing with Crowley, and another woman. Emiko perked up suddenly, staring at the woman with narrowed eyes. She was very beautiful, and obviously, a vampire. She had black hair that fell to her waist in silky curls and a beautiful, aristocratic face. She was practically draping herself over Crowley, and it was clear she was flirting.

Emiko hiccuped, and moved away from Chess. She marched straight towards them, a glare set upon her face. She didn't stop until she stood right in front of them. Neither Crowley nor the woman noticed her, clearly too engaged in flirting. Horn however, did, and moved to stop Emiko from carrying out her next action. She was too late; Emiko placed her hands on the beautiful woman's shoulder, and shoved her back. Emiko nearly tripped and fell along the way, but managed to keep her footing.

The woman looked more startled than injured, and narrowed her eyes on Emiko. "Who do you think you are?" She hissed. Suddenly, they had the entire room's attention. Emiko hiccuped.

"I...am...Emiko!" She announced loudly. "Who do you think you are?" She threw woman bristled.

"I am Svetlana, Ninth Progenitor." That should've sent warning bells off in Emiko's head, but it merely made her laugh arrogantly. Horn put a hand on Emiko's shoulder.

"Emi, what are you doing?" Horn whispered harshly, trying to pull her away. Emiko shoved Horn's arm away and approached the progenitor. She clenched her fists, glaring hatefully at the woman.

"Well, I don't like you, Svetlana!" Then, Emiko stuck her tongue out at her. The entire room was silent. Svetlana stared in a mixture of anger and disbelief.

"What are you?" Svetlana asked in her surprise. Emiko took personal offense to this comment.

"Wha-I'm a vampire! What the hell you talking bout, lady? Look, I've got the red eyes and the ears and-oh." In the middle of her rant, Emiko had reached up and grabbed one of her ears, in order to prove their authenticity. In doing so, she'd pulled the fake ear right off, and tossed it onto the floor. Emiko stared at the ear for a moment, and then turned her rage on Svetlana. "You evil vampire! Look at what you did!" In her rage, Emiko moved to punch the progenitor woman. Svetlana efficiently dodged the attack.

"Wha-?" Was the last thing Emiko said before she hit the floor and everything went black.

...

 **So, that was fun. This took so long to write, but mostly because a lot of stuff has been going on in my life and my laptop might die if I use it too much. Anyway, this chapter was supposed to be longer, but it's over ten pages and I figured you'd waited long enough. I hope you enjoyed drunk emiko! You'll get to see a bit more of her in the next chapter and the reactions of those who just witnessed that train wreck. I'm not gonna lie, I was laughing as I wrote this, so I hope you had fun with it too!**

 **Thanks for reading! Please follow, favorite, and review!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Just a little note, I enjoyed writing this way too much. I'm a very dramatic person (I was a theater kid) so there's quite a bit of drama in this chapter, not gonna lie. I can't help it, I like drama. I like writing dramatic dialogue. It's fun for me. I hope you enjoy it, but if you don't, well it's my story and It's going to get dramatic in places. Also, as a little spoiler, the ending is probably my most favorite thing I've ever written ever, and I hope you enjoy it. Onto the story!**

Emiko woke slowly, the colors of the room blurring into one big blob. She groaned, waving her hand in front of her face, watching as it swirled and twisted. Slowly, the colors started to fade, everything returning to it's proper place. Emiko finally got the strength to sit up, looking around the room. She was in a plain room, with tan walls and wooden flooring. She was laying on a piece of expensive velvet furniture, that looked like it was from the Victorian era. She ran her hand across the velvet curiously.

"Finally awake?" Emiko jumped, whirling around, and promptly falling off of the couch and onto the floor. There was a laugh from another person, and Emiko looked up from the floor. Crowley watched with a fanged grin, eyes shining with mirth. Emiko pouted, moving to sit up. "Have a nice nap?" He asked.

"I don't know? I mean, I'm kinda confused." Her words slurred a little as she tried to think about what had happened. Did she fall asleep? Where was she? Did she have sex with someone? Her eyes widened with that last one and she jumped up, grabbing Crowley by the biceps.

"Please tell me we did not have sex!" She shouted, shaking him. Crowley couldn't help it; he laughed. It wasn't the normal kind of laugh; it wasn't a chuckle or something that told her he found her amusing. It was full out, 'I just saw someone get paint dumped on their head', laugh. He threw his head back, letting the laugh pass through his lips unrestrained.

Emiko couldn't help but find the sound nice. It was smooth and velvety-even more velvety than the couch. After he was finished laughing, he looked back at her, smiling fully. "No, we did not have sex." He told her, still chuckling every so often. Emiko cocked her head to the side.

"You promise?" She asked. He smirked.

"I promise." He responded. Emiko held up her pinky, giving him an extremely serious look.

"You have to pinky swear." She warned. He looked at her pinky, held high up, and then looked at her face. He raised an eyebrow. She nodded. He found himself humoring her, and wrapped his pinky around hers. Happy with his response, she pulled away and looked around the room. "So, what did happen?" She asked naively.

"You tried to punch a progenitor in the face, tripped, and fainted. Oh, and you also revealed yourself as a human to the entire council." He explained nonchalantly. Normally, that would have made Emiko panic. Instead, she burst out laughing. She clutched at her stomach, letting the giggles fly. She eventually grabbed hold of Crowley's shoulder for support.

"You know, that really shouldn't be funny to you." He didn't seem to be complaining though. Another giggle passed through her lips and she rested her arms on his shoulders, nearly falling into him.

"I...I-I know but….but it is!" She giggled. She remembered now; the entire thing. She'd seen that progenitor lady getting cuddly with Crowley and it pissed her off. He wasn't allowed to be cuddly with anyone. So, Emiko had taken it upon herself to show that lady who was boss. Unfortunately, it hadn't gone quite as planned. Normally, that would've pissed her off as well, but Emiko was still too drunk to be angry about anything. Finally, Emiko's giggles quieted, and she wrapped her arms around his neck and jumped up, wrapping her legs around his torso. She laid her head on his shoulder. "Carry me." She ordered. There was silence. She sighed and pulled back, looking at his face. He seemed to be deciding on what to do. Emiko grabbed the sides of his faces, forcing him to look at her.

"I have to tell you something." She said seriously. He tried to keep a serious face. "It's really important." She insisted when she saw the smile crawl up his lips. "You have to promise to keep it a secret." She leaned closer until their noses were touching. "Do you promise?" She asked. She stared at him, waiting for an answer. He was about to respond, when the door opened. Emiko fell backward in shock, hitting the floor once more.

"What an interesting position to find you in." Krul said in amusement. Emiko looked up at her upside down, and then smiled. She stood and ran towards the short queen, wrapping herself around her.

"Krul! Krul, I love you! We're best friends forever and if I wasn't human and you weren't a mean vampire queen, we would definitely go shopping together." Emiko squealed. Krul looked at Crowley curiously, almost as if she were asking for help. He shrugged.

"How is she?" Krul asked Crowley, as Emiko continued to hug onto her.

"Oh, I'm wonderful!" Emiko said, nodding her head continually. "I mean, I've hit my head a lot, but Shinya used to say I have a hard head. It's probably why I didn't die when Guren threw me into that wall. Did you know that jackass experimented on me? He wanted to turn me into a super weapon! But then, me and Mirai teamed up, and we kicked serious ass, but then, but then, he got a cheap shot. He used my own loyalty against me! Pulled that 'ah, Emi, we're family!' Shtick on me and I hesitated. I hesitated! Then he threw me into a wall, so NOT nice!" Emiko ranted and then huffed, crossing her arms in annoyance.

Krul and Crowley shared a look.

"Then what happened?" Crowley asked curiously. Of course, he already knew what happened next, but he wanted to hear this drunk version of Emiko recount it. Emiko pouted and glared at him.

"Then, I woke up with a super bad headache. Like, worst headache ever. Then I met Crowley, Chess, and Horn! Chess and Horn are also my besties, just like you Krul! But Crowley's a jerkface!" She sent him a pointed look. "He's mean to me!" Emiko announced.

"If we're best friends, then why are you ignoring us?" Krul asked, hoping for some answers. Emiko's lip wobbled and she hugged onto Krul tighter.

"I'm scared." She whimpered. "I'm so scared. Of everything. I had family once." She explained. Tears were building in her eyes. "A mom and a dad. We lived in a beautiful house, and we had everything. We were happy." Emiko sighed happily, and then her eyes got sad again. "But then a vampire came and ruined everything. My family was taken from me. I didn't know what to do. But I healed, I got better. When the virus came around, I got a new family. Guren, Shinya, Shinoa, even Mahiru and I were family." Her lip wobbled. Familiarity showed in Krul's eyes.

"Mahiru?" She asked. Emiko nodded.

"Yes, Mahiru. But it was sad, she turned into a demon. Then, Guren stopped being Guren. He was sad, so he shut everyone out. I stopped seeing Shinya more and more too. Shinoa was the only constant. She was like my little sister. But then, but then, Guren asked me to come to the labs one day. I was happy, because we didn't see each other as often anymore since Mahiru died. But then he strapped me to a table, and experimented on me. My family...my family...my family betrayed me. It was sad. I told myself, 'my first family died, and my second family betrayed me. If I can't trust family, who can I trust?'"

"You can trust me, Emiko." Krul said seriously. Emiko shook her head vigorously.

"You're a queen." She stated factually. "A vampire queen. I've killed vampires, lots of vampires. You've killed humans, lots of humans. If I can't trust family, I can't trust you." She said it like it was fact, but Crowley was sure there was sadness in her eyes. Emiko turned to Crowley and smiled. She ran to him and grabbed his arm. "But he likes my blood. He likes it enough to be an ally, even if he is a jerk. I learned, I learned that if I can't earn loyalty, I can buy it." She chirped. Krul glared at Crowley, but Crowley gave nothing away.

"Emiko, he is not loyal to you." Krul stated flatly. Emiko nodded, twirling a strand of hair around her finger.

"Not trustworthy." Emiko agreed. "But he can be bribed. If he ever betrays me, he loses my blood. No trust needed!" Emiko announced happily. Krul pursed her lips. She wasn't too fond of this predicament, but she had more important things to deal with. Emiko had just revealed she was a human living in Sanguinem under her care and was not a feeder. She had a council to address.

"Crowley, get her out of the building. We will talk about your deal, later." She warned, and then she left. Crowley and Emiko looked at each other. Emiko blinked up at him. She grabbed his arm, and bit him. She didn't draw blood of course, but it did surprisingly hurt a little. He looked down at her curiously.

"What are you doing?" He asked. She grinned.

"I wanted to know what your reaction would be." She answered with a shrug. He didn't waste anymore time dealing with the crazy that was drunk Emiko. He grabbed her arm gently, and lead her out of the building, after bribing her with pocky.

They walked all the way back to his mansion, but Emiko refused to step inside. She tugged on his arm, and whined. "I want to go to the garden!" He sighed. What had been funny at first, was now becoming annoying. He complied though, and lead her to the back gardens. Emiko let go of his arm and danced around the garden, singing a sound to herself. She twirled and spun, and eventually fell onto the grass, laughing lightly. She looked to Crowley, smiling, and motioned for him to come over. When he didn't move, she pouted. She patted the spot next to her. When he still didn't move, she bared her neck playfully. He sighed again and approached, lying down next to her.

She giggled and sat up, looking at him. "Do you see the stars?" She asked.

"There's a ceiling." He reminded her playfully. She sighed dramatically and glanced at him.

"No, no, no, you have to visualize. Look, there's orion. It would be right there in the sky." She pointed out. She pointed far south. "My favorite is the Phoenix. What's your favorite constellation?" She asked.

"Pyxis," He answered, surprising her.

"You know the stars?" She asked. He nodded.

"When I was a Crusader, sometimes we'd stare up at the stars. We didn't know all of the names then, but that constellation always stood out to me." He explained. Emiko blinked at him curiously.

"What was it like? Being a Crusader?" He seemed surprised by the question.

"It was a lie." He answered simply. Emiko sat up, staring at him. He could tell some of the drunkenness was wearing off now, as she was getting serious.

"Why was it a lie?" She asked quietly. He sighed and looked up at the ceiling, imagining the stars. The same stars he'd watched before his commander died. He glanced at her.

"Because I was fighting for a god that didn't exist." Emiko continued to stare at him, wondering just what she could say to that.

"You don't believe in a god?" She asked. He chuckled and nodded. She hummed. "Do you believe in angels?" She asked. He didn't respond. Emiko sighed and laid back on the grass, staring up at the ceiling again. "I believe in Angels." She answered. She sounded thoughtful, and he'd never heard her sound like that before. "I, of course, believe in demons too. I don't know if I believe in a god, but I do believe that we all came from somewhere. But mostly, I believe in good. That's why I liked to look at the stars. I would think to myself, 'something so amazing could be made of something 's why I don't think vampires are evil either. I think, that just like humans, vampires have the ability to choose whether they want to be good or bad. I also think, that sometimes we get lost. It's hard to know what to choose when everything about who or what you are tells you to be one things or the other." She sat up, and smiled down at him. He was mesmerized.

"I think Krul is good, even when she does bad things. I think Chess and Horn are good too, even though they've been taught that being a vampire makes you bad." She explained.

"And me?" He asked quietly, smiling lightly. "What am I?" He asked. She watched him for a moment, and then smiled.

"I think you don't know." She tapped him on the nose. "I think that you just coast on by, never choosing one or the other. You just do what you want, don't really think about good or bad." She shrugged. "But I think, you'll choose one day. I hope you choose right." She said with a dramatic sigh, laying back on the grass.

Crowley wasn't one to be sentimental, in fact he hadn't been sentimental since he was human. But, the things she said hit a soft spot. Good and evil were always things he'd wondered about, during his human life and the first years of his life as a vampire. What was moral, what was immoral? He'd finally come to accept that those things didn't exist, but now, he wondered. Someone like Emiko, who had been hurt over and over by people and circumstances, can still think good exists. That made him think that maybe it does. Maybe, not in such a clean cut way though.

Perhaps, it was like Emiko had said. That people choose, and that even when they do things that would normally constitute them as evil, that there is still the option to choose. Crowley looked at her, truly looked at her. He didn't see entertainment, a blood bag, or a student, or a charge. Finally, he had seen Emiko for who she was, and the more he looked at her, the more amazed he was. He could see the good and the bad, the light and the dark, all the sides of her. He suspected, that she saw the same in him too. He made his decision.

"Don't get used to tender moments." He said, leaning over her.

"Wha-" He cupped the side of her face, pressing his lips against hers in a tender kiss. Emiko wrapped her arms around his neck, running one hand through his hair and pulling him closer. He ran a hand down her body, stopping at her hip and pulling her against him. They kissed for several long moments, until he pulled away. He stared down at her for the longest of moments, eyes soft and perhaps, even caring.

He finally stood, pulling her up with him. She breathed heavily, still affected by the kiss. "What now?" She asked softly. He smiled, and it slowly returned to it's normal smirk. He laughed quietly.

"Now, you're going to sleep. You're still a little drunk." Confused, but relenting, She let Crowley lead her inside the house and to her room. He lead her to the bed, helping her lie down under the covers.

"You know, if you'll be this nice, you can kiss me as often as you like." He chuckled and shook his head.

"7 AM archery practice tomorrow morning."Then, he left. Emiko sat up suddenly, glaring at the door he'd just left out of.

"Jerk!" She called, and then flopped back down on the bed. Then, she smiled, and turned over and went to sleep.

…

Despite the fact that it was seven AM, she had a hangover, and it was archery practice, Emiko had butterflies in her stomach. She'd remembered last night, and she was thoroughly confused by it. But more importantly, she was confused by the nerves and excitement she felt. Did she like Crowley? She couldn't decide. She certainly liked when he kissed her, that was for sure. But, he was mean to her sometimes. However, he could also be nice sometimes. In a weird way, he'd been her support system throughout the whole 'remembering I was tortured by someone I trusted' thing. When she'd found out, and broken down, he'd actually hugged her, and he hasn't yet spoken of, or made fun of her for her break down.

She needed to talk to Crowley about this. No more pushing it away or pretending it isn't there. They both have some odd attraction to the other, and Emiko needed to know what was going on. Did he want her in a physical way, or was there more to it? What about her? She wasn't sure. Everything was so confusing.

Crowley wasn't at Archery practice this morning. Instead, it was Lacus. Emiko didn't speak to him, as she had done for weeks. He merely watched as she tried, and failed, to land a shot on the target. She huffed in aggravation, but said nothing to him, and merely suffered through in silence.

Emiko had planned to go talk to Crowley right after practice, but Chess and Horn whisked her away before she got the chance. They sat in Chess' room, Chess chattering away happily while Horn listened patiently. Emiko said nothing, and eventually, they began to notice.

"Emi? Are you still not talking to us?" Chess asked. Emiko didn't respond. Yesterday had been an exception. She was sleep deprived and hadn't been thinking straight. But now, she was. She couldn't let herself make friendships with people only to be hurt again. Her heart couldn't handle it. "Come on, please talk to us! Don't we deserve to at least know why you're ignoring us?" Chess pleaded. Chess gave her the puppy dog eyes. Emiko couldn't refuse. She huffed, and told them the story.

They were quiet for a while, mulling over what Emiko had told them. Finally, Horn spoke. "I'm sorry that happened. I know what it feels like to be betrayed by people you love. But, you can't live your life alone, Emiko. It's too sad and too lonely of an existence." Emi sighed. Horn spoke the truth, and she knew that, deep down. She knew that she couldn't keep this up forever. Emiko lived on having people to love be loyal to. There were some people in this world who could without that, but Emiko just wasn't one of them. That didn't make it any less difficult. She didn't want to hurt anymore. She wasn't as strong as everyone believed; she was just a girl, and she could only take so much. She looked at her wrist absent-mindedly, and shook her head. She couldn't go back to that place. But, would she wind up there anyway if she ignored everyone she'd grown to care about?

"I don't know how to let you in." She murmured softly. "There is too much stopping me. You are vampires and I am human. You see me as a lesser being. At first, I was okay with that, but now I'm not. I won't care about people who don't see me as an equal. It's too difficult to trust someone like that, and it's not worth the heartache." Chess and Horn shared a look.

"We don't see you as lesser." Chess spoke. "I mean, we still think most humans are livestock, that's true, but not you. You're...our little sister. It's true, we don't see you as an equal, but we don't see you as less either. We want to protect you, just like sisters would." Chess explained. Emiko felt her heart warm a little, but she didn't know what to say or how to respond.

"We can't break down the barriers of our differences." Horn said calmly. "But know that you, in all your annoying chatter, and silly pranks, have weaseled your way into our hearts. We love you. Can you be okay with that?" She asked softly. Emiko sighed loudly, thinking it over.

She wanted to, desperately. She wanted to let herself be loved by people, to have friendships and a family. She knew that Chess and Horn weren't lying to her; she could see it in their eyes that they did love her, just like a little sister. But, was that enough to stop them from turning on her if things didn't stay this way? It didn't escape Emiko's notice that one day, she may not work for the queen anymore. If all of her memories returned, who knew, maybe she would return to the army. Maybe she would run away. She didn't know, but she didn't think that her life could stay like this forever.

"Okay," She said finally. "I'll try. I'm...scared, but I'll try." She announced. Chess squealed and lunged towards her, knocking her off the bed in a flying hug. "Can't….breathe." Emiko coughed out. Chess relented, letting Emiko up so she could breathe.

"Good!" Chess chirped. "Now...we need to talk about last night." Chess said seriously. Emiko's cheeks turned bright red.

"He kissed me, not the other way around!" She shouted before thinking. Chess and Horn stopped, and looked at each other. Slowly, both began to grin. Chess jumped on Emiko, holding her down as she struggled.

"Tell us everything!" She squealed, refusing to let her up.

"No way! Get off!" Emiko fought, but Chess happened to be a lot stronger than Emiko at the moment. She pushed at Chess' shoulders, to no avail. Chess held on tighter, nearly crushing Emiko's bones. Horn looked over them, smiling pleasantly.

"If you tell us, Chess will get off." She tempted.

"Go to hell!" Emiko squeaked, kicking her legs out sporadically. Chess giggled. "I take it back, I am not talking to you ever!" She threatened, but Horn only smiled indulgently.

"Still not getting up till you tell us." She replied pleasantly. Emiko struggled for several long minutes, until she felt the fight leave her and she gave up. She realized she wasn't getting out of this until she told them.

"So...Crowley may have...kissed me...last night." She admitted through huffs of air. There was silence. Then, Chess started squealing. She grabbed Emiko's shoulders and started shaking them, hitting her into the floor over and over. "Chess, stop." Emiko said dizzily. Chess pulled Emiko up, hugging her tightly and then standing, dancing around the room.

"It's finally happened! Horn, do you realize it's happened? It's happened!" She squealed. Emiko looked between the two of them with wide-eyes.

"Wait, I thought you would be mad?" Emiko asked unsurely. Chess scoffed.

"Are you kidding me? We've been shipping you two together since you pulled that pigs blood prank." Emiko shook her head, trying to wrap her head around all of this information.

"Shipping?" Emiko echoed in confusion. Chess squealed and wrapped Emiko in another bone-crushing hug. She 'eeped' in pain.

"Alright, Chess, that's enough." Horn said in amusement, a certain gleam in her eyes as she watched them. It was clear she was just as happy as Chess was, if a bit more contained. Chess pulled back, grinning ear to ear.

"You have to tell us everything." Chess warned. Emiko sighed, suddenly feeling even more exhausted than she already was.

"Can we talk about it later? I'm still a little confused by the whole thing? I haven't spoken to him since last night, and I don't really understand what this is." She admitted.

"It's love!" Chess sighed happily. Horn sent Chess an annoyed look.

"Chess," She warned. She turned to Emiko. "Talk to Lord Crowley. I think he's been quiet about his affections because he, well, knows you. But, if you ask him to be up front, he will." Horn suggested. That was easier said than done. Plus, Emiko wasn't sure if she even wanted him to be up front. She still wanted to ignore this and hope it went away. But, the bigger part of her wanted to know, because, she couldn't pretend she didn't also have her own feelings. Emiko sighed.

"Alright. I'll go talk to him." Emiko moved towards the door, decision made. Then, she stopped. She threw a mischievous smile over her shoulder. "Then, I'll give you details." She hurried out of the room before Chess could start freaking out again.

Emiko headed towards Crowley's office, knocking softly against the door. There was no response, as usual, and Emiko let herself in. Crowley was sitting behind his desk, but he looked bored. He smiled slowly when he saw Emiko, and stood from his chair.

"Crowley, I really want to talk to you about-" He was across the room in a flash, gripping her by the hips and pushing her into the back of the door. His mouth was on hers quickly, urging her to respond. She did, moving her lips against his at the same, passionate, pace. She could feel the contours of his body pressed up against hers, and it sent a heat to the pit of her stomach.

He moved from her lips, giving her time to breathe. She thought perhaps she would get a chance to speak, but was mistaken, as he began to press hot, open mouthed kisses down her jaw and neck. He opened his mouth wider against the skin of her neck, and she expected him to bite her, but was once again mistaken, as he sucked on the patch of skin. A small, pleasured sound left Emiko's lips at the feeling, and she closed her mouth hurriedly in embarrassment. She couldn't believe she'd just made such an wanton noise, but it seemed to please Crowley. He chuckled against the skin of her throat, sending pleasurable vibrations through her.

Crowley pulled back then, studying her heated face with a satisfied smirk. Emiko couldn't decide whether she wanted to hit him, or kiss him again. She was too embarrassed to do either. "You wanted to talk to me?" He asked arrogantly. Emiko narrowed her eyes at his tone, pursing her lips in a sign of annoyance. Still, she was too affected to stay that way, and merely sighed. She put her hands against his chest, pushing softly. He let up, allowing her space to move.

"Yes, actually. I would like to know what this," She made a movement of her hand, pointing between the two of them. "Is." She finished. He smirked in amusement, and leaned down to kiss her again. As much as she would've liked that, given it made her head spin in a wonderful way, she wanted answers. She held up a hand to stop him. "That isn't talking." She deadpanned.

"You're mine." He said simply. Emiko narrowed her eyes.

"You can't just decide that." She objected comically. He leaned in closer, until their noses were almost touching.

"I just did." He retorted. Emiko scowled.

"I didn't agree too it." She responded stubbornly. His eyes shined in mirth.

"Really? So why did you respond then?" He teased. Her face heated up again, and the urge to hit him intensified. So, she did. She karate-chopped the top of his head, and moved away from him. She needed some personal space to think straight.

"I didn't say I was disagreeing either." She threw back at him. "But, let's face it. I think you're a jerk. You think I'm livestock. Physical...attraction aside, I have no idea what this is." Crowley leaned against the wall, watching her closely. His eyes wandered over her, darkening, but he didn't move to kiss her again.

"It's very simple." He started, moving towards her. He placed a hand on the side of her face, tilting her head to the side. He ran a finger over her neck, sending a shiver down her spine. "First, I wanted your blood." His hand shot out, gripping her waist and pulling her against him. "Then, I wanted your body." He said seductively. Finally, he leaned towards her lips, keeping eye contact as he did so. Emiko was enchanted. "Now, I want your heart. And I won't take no for an answer."

...

 **Did you enjoy? Are you not entertained? I'm having so much fun, lol. Anyway, yes, another cliffhanger, but I freaking love writing cliffhangers. I don't know what it is about them, because I hate reading them, but writing them is a completely different story. I have this theory that all writers are a little sadistic, and take pleasure in torturing their readers with suspense.**

 **As for the ending, I have no idea if that is something Crowley would actually say, but I don't really care. I wanted him to say it, so he said it. Ha! The joys of being a writer also means I'm in charge! Mwhahahaha!**

 **Okay, seriously, it's like 1 AM and I'm talking to myself as I write this, so...yeah, let that be my explanation.**

 **Thanks to all those who review, follow, and favorite, it means a lot! I enjoy writing this story so much, and I enjoy hearing back from you guys just as much! Thanks for reading!**


	18. Chapter 18

Originally, Crowley saying something like that might've pissed Emiko off. Now, it made her cheeks turn a rosy color, and butterflies flutter around in her stomach. She had to wonder, since when did she start to have feelings for Crowley? Was she that ignorant of her own feelings, or was it a fairly new thing? No, it wasn't some overnight thing. She could remember her heart fluttering long before their first kiss. She just paid a lot more attention to the annoyance she felt when in his presence, than on the crush she had.

She remembered thinking from the very beginning how handsome she thought he was, or how annoyingly sexy it was when he smirked. And then, when he held her when she was at her darkest moment. Yes, that was when she'd started having true feelings for him. She thought he was a jerk, but she was also comfortable around him. If she needed someone to talk to, she went to him. He was the only person she'd trusted enough to be in his presence. She thought it had been because she could bribe him with her blood, but now she realized differently. She wanted to be near him. He made her feel safe, comfortable. She just naturally gravitated towards him, and she had a feeling, it wasn't something she would be able to control.

Emiko looked up at him with narrowed eyes. He could see it clearly, that she was thinking over her options. Well, option. Crowley wasn't one to get attached easily, but when he wanted something, he wasn't inclined to let it get away from him. Even if Emiko refused to be with him, he wasn't going to allow her to be taken from him. She could spend forever pulling pranks and hanging out with Chess and Horn, as long as she was near to him.

"You know," Emiko started, pulling Crowley from his thoughts. "Normally, I might've punched you for that. But for some reason, I feel kind of inclined to give in." She admitted. Her eyes snapped up to meet his sharply. "But, I have some conditions." Conditions? There was going to be conditions? "Number one; No more calling me human, and don't even think about calling me livestock. Pet names are okay, but Emi is just fine." He grinned and laughed lightly.

"Done." He was long over referring to her as 'human' or 'livestock'. Those terms no longer defined her to him. She was Emiko; she was who he wanted.

"Next, you will never make me practice Archery ever again." She said with a glare. He laughed again and nodded. She grinned sweetly next. "And finally, I'm not a blood bag." He visibly winced at that. He wasn't so sure about that one. Emiko's blood had an addictive quality to it, and he wasn't sure he could stop himself.

"What if I make it feel good?" He said, leaning over her seductively. Her breath caught, as he'd hoped, but he saw steely resolve in her eyes. He didn't need to know that it already felt good.

"No." He sighed, clearly agitated, but relenting. He wanted her to be his enough that he'd agree to giving up her blood, for now. He could work on convincing her later. She didn't know just how good a bite could feel.

"Fine." He agreed. Emiko's stern expression faded into a satisfied smile.

"Good. Now we can make out." He was happy to oblige. Thirty minutes later, Emiko sat upon his desk, her shirt lay strewn across the floor of his office. One of his hands sat upon the flesh of her waist, the other cupping the side of her face. Their lips mingled together lustfully, both of them releasing waves of desire they'd been ignoring for too long.

Emiko clutched at his jacket, pulling him closer. His hand just fallen to her inner thigh, when the door to his office opened. Before either of them had time to react, Chess barreled into the room, watching them with wide eyes. Excitement radiated off of the short progenitor. She squealed in excitement at the sight of Emiko and Crowley.

"Look Horn, I told you!" Chess called happily. Horn stuck her head in the door, observing the scene. A satisfied smile crossed her lips. Emiko's face turned red. She nearly fell off of the desk trying to get away from Crowley. She scrambled around, looking desperately for her fallen shirt.

"Aw, she's embarassed." Horn cooed playfully. Emiko shot Horn a deadly glare. The two progenitor woman began laughing. Emiko growled in frustration, but merely continued looking for her shirt. She finally found it hiding underneath the desk. She grasped it victoriously, holding it high above her head. Then, she hastily pulled it on. She stood, sending each of the three progenitors an embarrassed glare.

"What are you doing?" Emiko yelled. The irritation in her voice was clear. Chess and Horn shared a bemused look.

"The queen is here, and she's looking for you." Horn explained. Emiko went rigid. Oh no. What would Krul think? She would not be happy.

"Why is she here?" Emiko asked nervously. Did she somehow already know? Was she psychic or something? Had drunken Emiko accidentally let her feeling spill? With each thought, Emiko was getting more and more worried.

"Last night? Did you forget?" Chess asked quizzically. Emiko thought hard over what had happened last night. A lot of it was kind of blurry, given how drunk she'd been in the beginning. But slowly, it started to come back to her.

"Oh no." She groaned, hitting the floor dramatically. Chess and Horn nodded in agreement. "Did I really do that?" She asked, her voice muffled by the carpet.

"Yes." Horn answered. A whine left Emiko's lips.

"No~! Why did you let me do that? What are they saying?" She asked miserably. She looked up at the two of them hopefully. They both shrugged.

"That's why the Queen is here." Emiko sighed. "Guess it's judgement time." Emiko muttered. She exited the room, heading for the foyer. She knew exactly where she would be waiting for her.

Emiko was dreading the conversation as she entered the foyer. Standing beneath the chandelier stood Krul, Ferid, and a few other people that Emiko didn't

recognize. "Emiko." Krul said sternly. She jumped and turned to face her immediately. Emiko knew by the expression on her face that She had to be on her best behavior, if I wanted to survive. She motioned for me to step towards them, and I did as I was told, walking until I was a few feet away.

"This is third progenitor Lest Karr and Third progenitor Gabel Parthe. They have been sent by the Progenitors council to evaluate you." The way Krul said it made it clear that she wasn't happy about the decision. Emiko bowed respectfully to the Progenitors. She didn't know if she should speak, so she merely kept my mouth closed.

"She seems obedient now." The child-progenitor, Lest Karr she presumed, spoke calmly. He observed her with cold, serious eyes and she could not read his emotions. "Your name, human?" He asked her sternly. Emiko gulped. Just like Krul, he may look like a kid, but he was as scary as a monster. Geez. Emiko cleared her throat nervously.

"My name is Emiko Matsuri." She glanced at Krul. She didn't seem impressed. "...Sir?" She hadn't meant to phrase it like a question, but it came out that way all the same. Lest's lips turned up into an amused smirk. Just like most vampires, he seemed to find Emiko amusing. She didn't really understand it though, as she wasn't even really trying.

"She lacks manners." Gabel said disdainfully. Emiko wanted to tell him to screw off, but she figured that wouldn't do her any favors. She gave the progenitor a tight-lipped smile, that she hoped conveyed just how much she would like to strangle him.

"I apologize, sir." She answered back coolly.

"Emiko," Krul said sharply. Emiko turned to face Krul instantly, giving her, her full attention.

"Yes, my queen?" The phrase left a bad taste in Emiko's mouth. As if Emiko would ever refer to someone as her 'queen' or 'king'. She'd rather gag herself with a spork.

"You are to refer to them as 'your highness.'" Yeah, that was so happening. Not. Emiko sent Krul a very irritated look, and Krul responded by pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Perhaps not so obedient then." Lest Karr murmured in amusement. Emiko looked from Krul, to Lest, and finally to Ferid. He smiled pleasantly, clearly enjoying this encounter far too much. Finally, Emiko decided that this just wasn't working. Time to take a new approach. She smiled brightly.

"Okay, so that's not working." Emiko said aloud, capturing everyone's attention. "Let's start over. Hi, I'm Emiko! I'm a leo, I'm seventeen, and I'm freaking awesome. It's cool to meet more Progenitors, you guys are scary awesome too! Listen, last night, I got my hands on a bottle of

wine after this jerk-" Emiko pointed a finger at Ferid. "-started harassing me. Long story short, I got a little tipsy-" Krul's look clearly stated that, that was an understatement. "-and I wasn't really thinking straight. Tell that Progenitor lady that I am super sorry for trying to punch her in the face. But, listen, if we're being honest, I'm pretty sure I've punched most people I meet at some point in time. I mean, I've punched

Crowley, oh, I don't know how many times. I mean, I've never punched Ferid or Krul, but they are kind of scary, and I don't feel like getting my arms ripped off." She was babbling, and it was clear to everyone in the room.

Lest Karr seemed amused. Gabel Parthe did not. "She clearly lacks restraint." Gabel responded, giving Emiko a distasteful look. She smiled at him, but when he turned she flipped him the bird. It did not go unnoticed by Lest Karr. "And a shower." He added, scrunching his nose up in disgust. Emiko flushed. Did he just...? He did. Okay, the gloves were off.

"Hey! I spend hours upon hours a day slaving around learning to fight for Krul! I'm sorry that humans can't smell as nice whilst working out like vampires can! Also, you're mean!" Emiko was about to stick her tongue out at him, but the murderous look from Krul stopped her right there.

"Shut your impudent mouth!" Gabel shouted, making Emiko shrink back. She wasn't used to people yelling at her. Usually, she was too adorable to be yelled at. Like a puppy or a kitten. "Do you have any idea of the situation you are in? Your life is in our hands, so I suggest you bow down

and start showing some respect!" All was silent. Emiko stared at him for a second, blinking several times. Then, the tears started. She couldn't stop them, even if she wanted to. Big, fat tears started to roll down her cheeks and she tried, and failed, to force a sob back.

"Emi?" Krul said in complete surprise. Emiko ran towards Krul, wrapping her arms around the Queen and crying into her shoulder. They had found her weakness, she couldn't help but cry. Emiko couldn't stand people yelling at her. She was usually very tough, taking hits and punches

and not even shedding a tear. Even if people didn't like her, she could handle it. But there was something about yelling that just sent her into hysterics. She didn't understand, and neither did anyone else.

Krul didn't move, watching the scene unfolding before her with wide eyes. Emiko didn't cry; she'd explicitly explained to her that she wasn't allowed to cry, and she hadn't since. Krul thought it would take a lot more for something to bring Emiko to this state. "Why is she crying?"

Gabel commented irately.

"I would like to know the same." Crowley descended the staircase with Chess and Horn right behind him. He watched the scene with curious eyes, though he seemed a bit annoyed by the prospect that someone had made Emiko cry. Ferid laughed jovially, and pointed a finger towards Gabel.

"He yelled at our dear Emiko. It was quite the sight." He explained. Crowley raised an eyebrow. Someone had yelled at Emiko? He didn't think it was possible. Not even Krul had ever yelled at Emiko, even when she desperately deserved it. Crowley suspected that Emiko had never been yelled at in her entire life.

Emiko looked up from Krul's shoulder, turning her attention to Crowley. She moved from Krul to Crowley, latching onto him like a Koala. He looked at her in amusement, and then gripped her by the shoulders and lifted her away from him. "Stop being a baby." And then promptly dropped her on her ass. Emiko glared up at him, the tears drying as she did so. She swiftly lifted her leg, and kicked him in the shin.

"Emi!" Horn chided, looking quickly up to the foreign Progenitors, and then back down at Emiko nervously.

"She is a joy, Krul." Everyone's attention immediately turned to Lest Karr. He watched the scene with mirth in his eyes, and it was clear he found Emiko just as entertaining as everyone else. "However, I begin to wonder why she is still human. Why has she not been turned into a vampire yet?" He asked. Everything became dead silent, as they waited for Krul's reply.

"Emiko used to be a high ranking member of the Japanese Imperial army." Krul answered coolly. "She lost her memories, and was found by us. Instead of killing her, I found use for her. Emiko is capable of accessing human army bases and labs. She's freed dozens of vampires from the humans experimentation. Despite her...personality, she is very loyal and capable." Krul announced.

"How do you know she is loyal to you?" Gabel sneered. "She could be playing both sides." He pointed out. Emiko stood, and turned to face him. He expression was deadly serious, and it sent a small shock throughout the room.

"A high ranking official in the army tried to kill me." Emiko answered coldly. "I know the commanders and generals of this army. They are cruel and cold and evil. They will do anything to achieve victory against the vampires, even torture and experiment on their own. Vampires may see me as food, but at least vampires haven't tortured me." She explained. The look was back again; the empty look that Emiko had given everyone after she discovered the truth about her experimentation.

"Yet, vampires have captured the children of your country, enslaved them, and use them as mere food. They are seen as nothing more or nothing less. Does that not upset you?" Lest asked calmly. Emiko turned her attention to him.

"Of course it upsets me." She replied softly. "But, when choosing between two evils..." She trailed off and shrugged. "My own race betrayed me. Now, they're going to learn what revenge feels like." Lest looked to Gabel.

"She is more of an asset than a hindrance at this point. Still, she is disobedient. I'll be sending one of my nobles to keep watch over her. If she ever steps out of line, my noble will have permission to kill her. Does this arrangement agree with you, Gabel?" Lest asked calmly. Gabel

looked like he wanted to kill Emiko and be done with it, but he begrudgingly agreed to Lest's plan.

Emiko didn't so much like the plan either. She was getting a babysitter. A babysitter that could kill her if she threw any tantrums. As soon as Lest Karr and Gabel Parthe were gone, Krul turned to Emiko with narrowed eyes. "You couldn't have behaved?" She asked through grit teeth. Emiko shrugged, but she looked a little down. The entire meeting had exhausted her, physically and mentally.

"They didn't kill me." She pointed out tiredly.

"I don't think it could have gone any better." Ferid said pleasantly. Emiko narrowed her eyes on him. He was up to something, she knew it. He hadn't said a thing during the entire decision making process, which wasn't like him at all. Emiko opened her mouth to retort, or call Ferid out on his schemes, but instead, loud, painful coughs erupted from Emiko's chest. Emiko fell to her knees as pain took hold of her body, taking her captive. Blood spewed from Emiko's mouth. She panted and coughed again, trying and failing to get a hold over the situation. She looked up at Krul for help, but the vampire queen seemed just as surprised as she. Blood started to fall from her eyes, crimson teardrops crawling down her pale cheeks.

"What's wrong with her?" Chess said, speeding over to kneel beside Emiko after the initial shock. Horn soon appeared as well, placing a gentle hand on Emiko's shoulder. Emiko coughed up more blood, and her body started to tremble. She wiped viciously at the bloody tears, but they just kept falling one after the other. The pain was starting to become unbearable. It felt like liquid fire was running through her veins, burning her from the inside out. Krul pushed Chess out of the way, kneeling down to look at Emiko closely. Emiko stared back miserably.

"She's dying." Ferid spoke up, making everyone freeze in place. Despite the situation, he was grinning as cheerful as ever. He sent Emiko a chilling look. "Her body is rejecting the foreign being inside of her. It's ripping her apart at the seams." The pleasantness in his voice was grating on Emiko's ears.

"Shut up, Ferid!" She shouted, and then grunted in pain. She clutched at her stomach and leaned over, breathing heavily. It felt like she couldn't get in air fast enough. She spat out more blood, her throat becoming raw. Everything hurt. It felt like a thousand bee stings or a thousand branding irons pressing against her skin. She felt helpless. She almost wanted to ask for someone to just let it end, the pain was so unbearable.

Black spots danced across her vision. A cry left her lips, they all watched, paralyzed, as her blonde hair turned white, and then grew, the silken waves becoming soft curls as they fell to cover her knees. Her eye bled into red, and her pupils turned into cat-like slits. She breathed heavily, clutching at her heart in pain. She was on fire, she had to be. There was no way she could be in this much pain and not be absorbed in flames. Another jolt of pain, and that was it; an earsplitting scream tore through her lips.

Crowley couldn't stand it anymore. Her pain was intolerable, and he could see it in the way she cried and hear it in the tortured screams. He moved to her side, grabbing an orange pill bottle from his pocket. He gripped the side of her face, turning her face up to look at him. She gazed at him with pained, fearful eyes. He opened the bottle, grabbed a pill, and placed it inside her mouth. Her confusion was clear, but she swallowed the pill, willing to do anything to make the pain stop.

Seconds after swallowing the pill, she keeled over, clutching at the marble floor. Her pants turned to heavy, slow breaths. Slowly, she pushed herself up from the floor. Mirai stared at him with cold eyes. Everything was deadly silent, as Mirai pushed herself to her feet, and looked around at those watching her. She studied them with narrowed eyes.

"You can't save her." She uttered coldly. "As long as I'm in this body, as long as there are two entities fighting inside of her, she cannot survive. You're only causing more pain by delaying the inevitable. Let her die." Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she fell. Crowley caught her before she hit the floor. He looked to Krul with surprisingly serious eyes.

"What do you plan to do?" He asked. Krul stared at him for the longest time, and it was clear she was trying to make a decision.

"We'll transfer her to the labs. Perhaps they can find a way to prolong her life and ease the pain." Crowley looked like he wanted to object, but thought better of it. He nodded grimly. "I"ll have the servants carry her-"

"No," Crowley interrupted. He stood, carrying Emiko in his arms. "I'll take her."

….

 _Emiko was dreaming, that she knew. There was no way it could be real, because she knew, deep in her bones, that the woman in front of her was dead. Her mother stood in a simple cotton white dress that flowed around her like waves in the ocean. Her blonde hair, the exact same color as Emiko's, was piled up into a beautifully elaborate bun atop her head. She smiled lightly when she saw Emiko, beckoning her over._

 _Emiko was hesitant. She'd had far too many dreams like this, dreams that only made waking up hard. Emiko shook her head. "I can't." She answered lowly. Her mother's hand dropped, and she frowned. She shook her head and tisked lightly, but there was a playful light in her hazel eyes._

" _You've always been stubborn. You once starved yourself for two days all because I told you, you had to eat your vegetables if you wanted dessert." She murmured in amusement. Emiko closed her eyes, pain flooding her system._

" _Why does my mind want to hurt me like this?" She whispered to herself. Emiko heard her mother sigh._

" _Like I said, stubborn." She clucked her tongue. Her mother approached, stopping just in front of Emiko. She gently pulled her head up by her chin. Their eyes met, and her mother smiled lovingly. Her thumb caressed the side of Emiko's face, and Emiko allowed herself to enjoy the comforting movement, if just for a moment. "Do you remember what I used to tell you when you were little?" She asked softly. Emiko gave a confused look, and shook her head slowly. "Think hard. What did I instill in you, the second you could understand?" Emiko thought hard. She wanted to please this dream version of her mother more than anything._

 _Emiko thought back on her childhood. Her mother had told Emiko many things, given her many pieces of advice. 'Trust yourself', 'believe in the good', and 'never fall to darkness', but none of these things were repeated over and over. Then, it came to her. How she'd forgotten, she would never know._

" _People don't change. Sometimes, they just forget who they really are." Emiko whispered softly. She looked up to meet her mother's gaze, confusion glazing her eyes. "But why do I need to know that?" She asked. Her mother brushed the hair from Emiko's face. Emiko didn't notice it was white._

" _I love you very much, darling. Keep fighting, my little warrior."_

…

Emiko woke with a start. She stared at the ceiling of the room in confusion, as she briefly wondered where she was. It clicked the second her memories returned; she was in a hospital room. Typical. It felt like she'd been here a lot lately. She sat up slowly, looking to assess her situation. There was an IV in her wrist, a clear fluid being slowly pumped into her. She didn't seem to have any injuries, though she felt like hell. Everything ached. It felt almost like her body had gone into overdrive; her muscles ached and creaked at every move she made. She licked her lips, finding them to be cracked and dry. Her mouth was parched as well; she needed water.

"How are you feeling?" Crowley walked into the room, a glass of water in hand. He walked across the room towards her, handing her the glass of water. She took it thankfully, taking a long drink of the water.

"Honestly?" She asked wirily. He gave a small grin and nodded. "Like you made me run forty laps again." She took another sip of the water, turning her attention to the iv. "What is it?" She asked, motioning to the liquid.

"It was created by the labs. Consider it medicine, to ease pain and…" He didn't finish the sentence, but Emiko knew what he was leading up to.

"Keep me alive longer." Emiko finished dryly. He nodded. Emiko pulled the covers off of her and moved her legs over the side of the bed. She stood, and ripped the iv out of her arm. She searched the room for a pair of clothes, but found only changes in scrubs for her to wear. She scrunched her nose up at the sight of them. She detested scrubs. "How long?" She asked, moving towards the scrubs anyway.

"You really want to know?" He asked. She nodded, determined not to show the fear she felt. Her fingers trembled anyway. "If you take the medication daily, they think it'll keep you alive a few months." Emiko closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be happening. She'd survived the murder of her parents, the apocalypse, and the betrayal of a man she trusted with all her heart, and now, she was going to die all because her body couldn't handle a stupid demon.

"I'll turn you." The words pulled Emiko from her thoughts. She turned to stare at Crowley, a look of true surprise on her face. Crowley was completely serious, and she could see it in his face. He would turn her, perhaps even if she didn't want him to. It brought a strange thought to Emiko's mind; did he want her that much? Was he so set on keeping her around, that he'd turn her into a vampire?

Emiko had never once considered becoming a vampire. Even living with them, it had never crossed her mind. Emiko was content as a human. She didn't desire eternal life, or well, she'd never really thought about it. She just accepted her existence for what it was, and that was that. Now, she was asking herself that question. Did she want to be a vampire? To live forever?

She wasn't sure. There were parts of forever that sounded nice. She'd never get old or gray, she'd be much stronger and more powerful. She'd get to stay with Krul, Chess, Horn, and Crowley forever. But...forever also meant leaving behind her human life. It meant boredom. It meant that she wouldn't get to reunite with her family, at least not unless someone killed her.

"No." Emiko said softly. "I don't want to be a vampire." She said with finality. Crowley didn't seem pleased. He frowned and narrowed his eyes.

"I'll give you a month. You can have a month to say goodbye to your humanity, and then I will turn you." Emiko opened her mouth to respond, and he quickly pressed his lips against hers. She returned it, reluctantly. Then she pushed away.

"Okay, I'll admit to liking it very, very much when you kiss me, but keep using it to interrupt me and I am going to punch you." She replied seriously. He smirked, and the mood lightened considerably. He opened his mouth to respond, but Krul walked in at that moment. Both turned their attention to the queen immediately. She looked between the two of them with narrowed eyes, but said nothing of Emiko's flushed face or the closeness between them.

"I need to speak with Emiko in private." She ordered. Crowley sent Emiko one last smouldering look, before leaving, shutting the door to the room behind him. Krul and Emiko turned to each other.

"What was that?" Krul asked sharply. Emiko winced.

"You said you wanted me to seduce him…?" Emiko said unsurely. She was hoping Krul would take that for an appropriate answer, but one look at her face told Emiko otherwise. Emiko sighed. "It all happened so fast." She whined. Krul rolled her eyes and motioned for Emiko to take a seat. Emiko moved towards the bed, sitting at the edge of it.

"No kidding," Krul muttered. "How did this happen?" She asked. Emiko shrugged, chewing her lip nervously.

"After the banquet, we were talking, and then he kissed me, and it felt really, really good, and then he was weirdly sweet and then today, when I went to talk to him about it, he ambushed me, made out with me, and then bluntly stated that he wanted me as more than just 'enemies with benefits'." Krul didn't seem impressed.

"And you just went along with it?" She asked dubiously. Emiko shrugged, her cheeks flushing once more.

"He's a really good kisser." Emiko said with a nervous laugh. Again, Krul was not impressed. Emiko sighed. "When I first found out about Guren's betrayal, he was the one who found me. I broke down in front of him, and, he didn't mock me. He comforted me. When I wasn't talking to anyone, Crowley was the only one I trusted enough to speak to. I can make all the excuses I want, but there is a connection between us. We've been drawn to each other since the very beginning, and I'm tired of ignoring it. So, yeah. I agreed." Krul's eyes softened, and she nodded.

"I know." Krul replied simply. "I saw it too. But that's not what I'm here to talk about. We need to find a way to fix this." Krul said. Emiko nodded.

"I definitely don't want to die." She agreed. "What do I need to do?" Emiko asked.

"How do you feel about high school?"

...

 **Fast update! Yay! Anyway, I wanted to get a little bit more into Emiko's relationship with Crowley, but it's still kind of in this awkward stage for Emiko, and I need to push the plot forward, so... yeah. Hope you enjoyed! Anyway, I've been having a lot of fun writing about facts about my characters, and I even did a playlist for the story. So, I'm going to post them here. I'll post one fun fact about the story or characters each coming chapter. Enjoy!**

 **Fun Fact:** **Mirai's name started out as Kirai. I changed it because I was reading on the wiki page, and the wiki said that Kimizuki's little sister's name was Kirai. Unfortunately, it was an error and her real name was Mirai. So...yeah. That's why they share the same name.**

 **Playlist:**

 **Warrior-Beth Crowley**

 **I'm still here-Jem and the Holograms**

 **Stone cold-Demi Lovato**

 **Monster by Paramore**

 **My song knows what you did in the dark-Fall out boy**

 **Demons-imagine dragons**

 **Titanium-David Guetta and Sia**

 **Burn in my light-mercy drive**

 **Zombie-the pretty reckless**

 **Another fun fact: A lot of these songs I listen to and envision Emiko singing. Emiko doesn't really sing in the story though, it just helps me plot and it's fun. :)**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hola guys! Hope you enjoy this next chapter! It's not my favorite, and I couldn't quite get it to go the way I want, but if I suffer over it too long, I'll my motivation to keep moving forward on this story, so it's just gotta be for the moment. Also, I forgot to mention this in the last chapter, but the reason why the spacing and stuff was so wonky is because my internet went down for a while and I had to write in Notepad. When I transferred it over to google docs I tried fixing it, but it seems I missed some. Sorry!**

 **There are mentions of, and hints to Self-harm in this chapter.**

Sickness aside, Emiko was enjoying high school. Well, as much as she could. It was strange walking around in a long red wig in a school full of teenage humans. They all acted as if everything was perfectly normal, and that the apocalypse hadn't happened. It was strange. Despite everything, the fact that she was indeed living in a post-apocalyptic world did not escape her.

Still, Emiko didn't blame them for ignoring that existential fact. It was kind of a downer. Everyone accepted Emiko, or, 'Amaya' just like she was a normal student. No one asked where she was from or what she'd gone through, and she expected that the norm around here. In this kind of world, everyone had a story they'd rather not tell.

Emiko spent a full day attending human classes, and she had to admit, it was kind of fun. She liked learning. Well, she liked learning about things she was interested in. When it came to math, she mostly just slept or doodled in her notebook. Now, it was the end of the day, and Emiko's mission came to point. She walked around the near abandoned school alone, searching for a certain classroom.

She was having trouble. The school turned out to be much more confusing than she'd originally thought. Fortunately, Emiko was guided by some very nice students, who were on their way to that classroom anyway. As she entered, a short woman looked to her in confusion, but smiled politely anyway.

"Excuse me, you are?" She asked naively. Emiko shut the door behind her. She turned to face the woman with a sweet smile.

"I'm Amaya! Is this Guren Ichinose's class?" She asked. Her eyes darted around the classroom, searching for his face just in case she missed him. The woman nodded hesitantly.

"Yes, but he rarely attends. I normally supervise this class." She answered. Emiko's face fell. That meant this entire journey had been for nothing. A scowl then lifted Emiko's lips, and she grabbed her guns from underneath her skirt. Yelps of surprise spread throughout the room, many students jumping from their seats.

"If you don't want me to kill your precious teacher, you'll sit back down." Emiko ordered coldly. Honestly, she didn't know how she could make such a sound. It was strange really; she didn't know she was capable of sounding so dark and evil. It was almost unsettling. The 'teacher' darted out from Emiko's line of sight, holding a pair of knives in front of her. Emiko could clearly see they were a demon weapon, and Emiko activated her curse.

Darkness shrouded the room, and the woman's attack was halted as the darkness crawled up her legs, slowly immobilizing her. She gasped in shock, pushing against the darkness, to no avail. Slowly, the darkness immobilized everyone in the room, except for Emiko. "Huh." Emiko said suddenly. "That usually only works on the weak-minded." Emiko wasn't being intentionally patronizing-she was just having an off day. Getting told you're gonna die is kind of a downer.

"What do you want?" The teacher asked angrily. Emiko clucked her tongue thoughtfully. She realized then that she may have given Mirai a bit too much control, but there was nothing she could do about it now. The demon wanted this to work just as much as Emiko did.

"Get Guren here. Now." She hissed through her teeth. The anger radiated off of Emiko in waves, and everyone could feel it through the darkness. She freed the woman from the darkness, and she fell to her knees. Emiko pulled the wig off of her head, tossing it to the ground. She approached the woman, kneeling down beside her.

"Emiko?" She gasped out, eyes widening at the sight of her. Emiko didn't bother responding to her surprise.

"Guren is going to fix what he's done to me. Now, you will go and you will retrieve Guren and you won't say a word to anyone else. In case you weren't aware, I have the backup of very powerful vampires, and a very powerful demon. Piss us off, and I'll kill everyone in this room." No, she really wouldn't. Well, Emiko wouldn't. Mirai might, but Mirai didn't have _that_ much control.

"Emiko…" She trailed off, tears building in her eyes. "Why?" Her voice broke, and Emiko's eyes softened for a split second. Then, the hard glare returned.

"Why don't you ask Guren?" Emiko growled. "I don't have time for questions, get Guren." The woman ran out of the room at Emiko's orders, leaving to find him. Emiko didn't trust that she'd only return with Guren. She wasn't that stupid. Emiko turned to the students, increasing the effects of the darkness. Instantly, most of them passed out. With a little more push of the darkness, and all of the students were out like a light.

Emiko searched the room, looking for a place to climb. She climbed upon the desk, pushing against one of the ceiling panels. It opened easily, and Emiko hoisted herself up, climbing inside. She left the panel open slightly, so she could see out. Then, she waited.

After about a half hour of waiting, Emiko heard heavy footsteps echoing down the hall. The footsteps stopped outside the door, and pushed the door open. She watched as Guren walked into the room, hand on his sword. He observed the room slowly, eyes searching for Emiko.

"Em?" He called. "Emiko, I know you're in here. Come out and we can talk. I know you wouldn't actually kill anyone. So please, I want to help." Emiko nearly snorted at that. She didn't believe a word he said, but she did come here with the intention of talking to him. Emiko opened the panel and jumped down from the ceiling. Guren turned to face her, and both kept their eyes locked on the the other.

"You tortured me." Emiko stated coldly. His eyes narrowed, and pain flashed through them for a split second.

"I did." He answered simply. Emiko clenched her fists.

"We were family, and you tortured me." She ground through grit teeth.

"Yes." He answered again, slowly. "I tortured you, and I can't change that. But, come back. Shinya, Shinoa, they miss you. They're still your family." Emiko shook her head.

"They're not." She replied sharply. "But that's not what I'm here to talk about." Guren's eyebrows knit together in confusion. Emiko looked away, studying the sleeping students. She needed a moment before she revealed the truth to him. She took a deep breath.

"I'm dying." Emiko told him flatly. His eyes widened in shock, his hands dropping at his sides. "You forced a demon into my body. My body can't handle the strain of two souls in one body. We have medicine, to stave it off, but it'll only work for a few months." Emiko raised her gun to him. "Fix what you did to me. Free us." Emiko ordered. His eyes held pain, and he squeezed them shut tight.

"I...can't. I don't know how." Anger filled Emiko's veins. She aimed her gun at his shoulder and shot. He yelled out in pain, staggering backwards and clutching at his shoulder.

"You did this to me and you can't fix it?" Her voice was deadly calm. Guren could hear the storm brewing. She was a tsunami, and she was capable of destroying cities with her rage. He knew he had to calm her, before she did just that.

"I'll find a way." He answered quickly. "Give me some time. I'll figure out how to save you, Em." All was silent. He watched her, wondering if he'd calmed the storm. Finally, she sighed, lowering her gun.

"Fine. You have two weeks. Now, do the people waiting outside the door want to come in?" Silence followed her statement, until finally four people slowly filed into the room. Most of them she didn't recognize, except for the girl from earlier. She gasped when she saw her students, running to check up on them. "They're fine, just sleeping." Emiko explained.

"How could you do this? How could you join the vampires?" It was a girl with red hair who said this, staring at Emiko with a look of disgust. Emiko looked to Guren.

"I'll let Guren tell you the story." She ignored the confused looks she received. Emiko looked to Guren once more. "Have it ready." She ordered. Emiko shoved past the group of people, and quickly left the school. Leaving the city was a long walk, and returning to Sanguinem was even longer.

As she walked, Mirai's influence faded more and more. Emiko came to a stop in the abandoned rubble of city, and sighed. The anger had faded, and now, she just felt...hopeless. Sad. Alone. Like no matter her efforts, nothing would ever get better. The urge returned. Emiko stared down at her wrist, smoothing her hand over the top of it. The scars were gone, having faded once Mirai came into the picture, but she could still see where every single one had been.

Her eyes searched the rubble for something sharp. Finally, her eyes landed on a piece of metal. She picked up the small object, finding it to be a small piece of a broken sword. Emiko gave another sigh, and hovered the object over her wrist.

….

Punching things made everything better. Unfortunately, Emiko's superior strength had already destroyed two punching bags. Crowley stood at the entrance to the gym, observing her training. She had come far from where she started. At the beginning, she wasn't even a match for most high ranking city guards, but now she could go head to head with plenty of nobles, and win. He was even impressed with the way she held her own against him, though without the full power of her demon, she was nowhere near a match for him.

Emiko stopped hitting the bag, brushing her hair out of her face. Sweat beaded on her forehead from the hard workout. She pulled the bandages off of her fists, heading to meet Crowley. "You know, I've been on break for way too long. When am I going to learn some new fighting techniques?" She asked.

"I would suggest mastering the techniques you've already learned." He replied simply. Emiko scoffed.

"I have. Haven't you noticed? I'm awesome." Emiko stated proudly. Crowley was unimpressed. Emiko moved to make another comment, but stopped suddenly as the room started to twist and turn. She swayed in place, and Crowley placed a hand on her shoulder to keep her standing. She shakily reached into her pocket, pulling out a bottle of pills. It took her a few seconds, but she managed to get the top off of the pill bottle and reached inside, grabbing two pills and popping them into her mouth. She swallowed them. She breathed heavily for several seconds, until the pills started to take effect. Slowly, her vision returned to normal and the shaking stopped.

She pushed away from Crowley, giving him a grateful look. Emiko moved to walk past him, but he gripped her wrist, stopping her. "Let me turn you now." He said seriously. "You're going to become a vampire eventually. Do it now, and stop all the pain." He ordered. Emiko shook her head.

"I have Guren looking for a way to separate Mirai and me. Krul is looking too-"

"I'm not talking about that." He interrupted her, eyes narrowed. "You're mortal. You're easy fodder to nobles, and even with Krul's favor, you won't last long amongst the vampires as a human. You can't stay like this forever, and I've grown too attached to you to let you die." Emiko was stunned by his words. Attached? He was attached to her? The word sent flutters through her stomach. Emiko shook her head suddenly, returning to reality. She narrowed her eyes on him.

"So, no matter what happens, you're going to turn me into a vampire?" She asked flatly. He nodded. No smirks or teasings. He was being completely serious. Emiko ripped her wrist from his grasp. "I make my own decisions." Once again, Emiko moved to leave. Quick like a viper, he grabbed her by the waist, whirling her around and pressing her into the wall. He smirked playfully, but there was a hidden irritation in his eyes.

"You belong to me. You can hate me, but you will still remain by my side." He said it with a teasing lilt, but the order was clear. Emiko's eyes flashed angrily.

"I don't belong to you." Emiko hissed. She glared at him for the longest time, and was suddenly hit by a stark realization. "You don't want me like a girlfriend or a partner. You want to own me. Well, that's not how this works. I'm not an object, and you don't make decisions for me!" She shoved away from him, and surprisingly, he let her. With one final seething glare, Emiko stormed out.

...

Emiko was walking the streets of Nagoya, Lacus and Rene following after her. She'd spent the total amount of time they spent together, ranting about Crowley. The two listened quietly, mostly because they were slightly afraid of what she'd do to them if they didn't. They never thought the day would come when they'd be scared of a human, but in their defense, she did have a demon living inside of her.

"You see what I mean?" Emiko finished with a frustrated sigh, kicking the dirt beneath her foot. She turned and looked to Lacus and Rene questioningly, expecting an answer. Slowly, they looked to each other. Lacus, being Lacus, then shrugged.

"Well you're human. The fact that he even pays attention to you should you be good enough." Right after he spoke, he realized that was the wrong thing to say. She pulled out one of her guns and shot him in the shin. He yelped and fell back, clutching at his shin. Emiko turned her attention to Rene, gun at the ready. He looked from the gun, to Lacus, then back to the gun.

"What do you want us to say?" He asked gruffly. "We're vampires, we see humans as livestock, nothing more." He knew it wasn't the answer she wanted, but they both knew she wouldn't shoot him for being honest. Emiko sighed, placing her gun back in it's holster.

"So you see me as livestock?" She asked bluntly. Rene and Lacus shared a look. It was Lacus who spoke up.

"Scary livestock." He amended. Emiko scowled. She couldn't believe he'd just referred to her as 'scary livestock'. What did he think she was, a bull seeing red? Actually, that might be an accurate depiction, she thought bitterly.

"So...you don't see me as a being with emotions and opinions and a personality?" She asked flatly. Once again, the two of them shared a look.

"Hmm...it's not quite like that." Lacus responded. He seemed to actually be pondering over this, strangely enough. "We're perfectly aware you have such things. We're just beings much higher than you, and thus, we're not inclined to care." Emiko felt like shooting him again. Emiko crossed her arms, and glared down at him.

"You know, for a being that's so much 'higher' than me, I kick your ass a lot." Now both of them were glaring.

"Stubborn livestock." Lacus huffed.

"Arrogant leech." Emiko threw back. The two were caught in a glaring war.

"Perhaps you should view it from Lord Crowley's perspective." Rene spoke up, attempting to quell the tension between the two of them. He didn't need Lacus out from work because he got maimed. "He's lived for nearly nine hundred years. For all that time, he's seen humans as nothing but food. Now, he's decided to see you as something more. You should be thankful." Rene advised. Emiko felt like pulling her hair out. Why had she come to them in the first place? Oh, right, because Chess and Horn would be no help.

"Seriously, are you guys insane? Did you drink rotten blood or something? Even Chess and Horn treat me with respect now, and you guys want to feed me that load of crap? Let me be clear; that attitude and that sort of thinking are the entire reason so many of you are being sought after and killed by the army. You know, if you vampires had just maybe helped us with the whole virus, and got us back on our feet, we probably would've willingly donated the blood. Have you ever heard of the word Mutualism? It's Biology 101, and I would know cause I attended school yesterday." Rene scoffed.

"Preposterous. Humans would never be open to such an idea, and vampires shouldn't have to cooperate with humans." He retorted. Her fingers twitched towards the gun, but she restrained herself. She couldn't shoot someone for disagreeing with her. She could think about it though.

"You're all crazy! Humans are crazy, vampires are crazy, everyone is so freaking crazy! Humans and vampires are at war, literally hunting and killing each other off when we could be working together in peace! Imagine how much greater the world would be if we'd all stop being idiots! Here, watch, I'll show you an example." She said just as Chess came running up towards her, grinning. Emiko turned to Chess.

"Chess will you make me a sandwich?" Emiko asked politely. Chess looked confused, but shrugged anyway.

"Sure. What kind?" She asked curiously. Emiko smiled. Emiko offered Chess her wrist.

"Thanks, Chess. Here, in return, you can have some of my blood." Chess looked from Emiko's wrist to her face, and then shook her head slowly.

"No thanks. I prefer living." Emiko rolled her eyes, but turned back to the boys anyway.

"See? Despite the last little part, that's how it should work! Give and take, people!" She threw her hands up in exasperation. Honestly, how had no one thought of this before her? Didn't it make so much more sense this way?

"Uhhh...Emi?" Chess spoke up once more. Emiko looked at her curiously. "Lord Crowley would like to speak with you." Emiko's look immediately fell into a scowl.

"Well, you can tell him that he can burn in hell!" Then she ran off before Chess could get mad at her for saying such a thing. She explored Nagoya by herself after that, realizing she wouldn't get any sensical advice from a vampire. Did they honestly think so lowly of humans? It was slightly difficult for Emiko to understand, as she'd received much more respect than most humans did from vampires. Still, for her race to be thought of so lowly, it really pissed her off. She knew that humans couldn't really be considered the 'good guys', just as vampires couldn't necessarily be considered the 'bad guys', but it still drove her crazy. Why did everyone see everything so black and white?

"You look like a lost kitten, making that face." Hearing Ferid's voice did not make her day any better, Though, she wondered if perhaps she could ask him. Ferid was crazy and creepy and evil, but he was also knowledgeable. She suspected that he might have been a bit of a philosopher as a human.

"Ferid." Emiko said, the distaste evident in her voice. He jumped down beside her, smiling pleasantly.

"You seem confused, dear one." He observed playfully. Emiko rolled her eyes, but was silently surprised he'd caught on so fast.

"Can I...ask you a question?" She murmured. His smile grew.

"Ask away." He responded lightly. Emiko sighed, staring up at the sky. She watched the clouds move slowly, wondering just how she could phrase her question. Finally, it came to her.

"Why do you think we all prefer war over compromise?" She asked finally.

"Do you?" He asked indulgently. Emiko shrugged, chewing her lip nervously.

"I don't think so. I think War is silly, especially when both parties could simply work together and gain more." She answered truthfully.

"Imagine this. A child has been given a new doll from their parents. They can play with the doll whenever they want, the only stipulation being they give up their old favorite toy. What do you think the child will choose?" He asks.

"I don't know." Emiko answered.

"Now, imagine this. The child has been given everything they've ever wanted. They are waited on hand and foot, and have never had to give up anything. How do you think the child would respond then?" Emiko was beginning to see where he was going with this.

"Well, the child would want to keep both toys." She answered. He nodded.

"Precisely. So, the child would throw a tantrum. They would whine and cry until they got what they wanted." He explained. Emiko gave him a sideways glance, mulling over what he had said.

"So, we're all just greedy children then?" She asked. He smirked.

"Exactly."

...

Emiko knocked on Crowley's door, waiting for a response. He responded soon after, and Emiko entered the room. He was lying on the bed, book in hand. He looked bored, though his eyes brightened when he saw her. "Finally done sulking?" He teased. Emiko tried not to throw something at him. She took a deep breath, and approached him. She stopped at the side of the bed. He looked at her curiously.

"Let's go on a date." Emiko spoke finally. He quirked an eyebrow, giving her his signature look of amusement.

"A date?" He asked. Emiko flushed pink, and grabbed his hand, forcing him to sit up. She started to pull him till he was standing.

"Yes, a date. Now, come with me." Emiko pulled him through the house until they ended up in the tv room. She pulled him along until they were in front of the couch, to then she motioned for him to sit down. He complied, watching her in amusement as she moved towards the tv. She pulled at cords until the DVD player was set up. Finally, she moved to the DVD cabinet, and pulled out one of her favorite movies; The good, the bad, and the ugly. She stood, holding the movie out so Crowley could see it.

"This is one of the best western films of all time. We're going to watch it." Then, she set it in the DVD player, and turned it on. She sat next to Crowley, and allowed the move to play on for nearly an hour before speaking. She turned to him. "Favorite color?" She asked. He glanced at her.

"What?" He asked. She rolled her eyes.

"Favorite color. I love pastel pink and baby blue." She informed of him.

"Why do you want to know my favorite color?" He asked curiously. Emiko huffed a sigh in annoyance.

"You said, that you didn't just want my blood or my body. You said you also wanted my heart, right?" She asked. He nodded. "Well, I don't give without getting back. Besides, to have my heart you have to understand it. So, I'll ask again. What's your favorite color?" She asked. He still seemed amused, but there was an understanding in the air between them now.

"Red." He answered. Emiko nodded, absorbing the information.

"Favorite book?" She asked.

"Heart of darkness. Yours is Cinderella." She beamed.

"Correct! Okay, favorite artist." On and on the questions went. Crowley complied, answering all the questions she asked without complaint. In turn, he also listened to all of her answers as well. The game was silly in itself, but the more they went along, the greater an understanding the two had of each other.

He saw the way her eyes lit up when she spoke of music. She noticed how animated he became when discussing famous wars. And through it all, it wasn't just understanding the two gained. Respect, admiration, and appreciation all grew as well. He loved watching the way passion sparkled in her eyes, or how she bit her lip when deep in thought. She loved seeing the amusement that flickered over him as he thought over the past. Soon, it was no longer a game of questions. They were telling stories about their lives, and it all seemed so natural to them. At that moment, he wasn't a vampire, and she wasn't a human.

...

Well, there it is! I know I said I was waiting on the romance part, but it's just been so fun, and I finally feel like I'm getting more of their rhythm down. I sometimes have a hard time with romance, because each couple is different. A lot of the times, it's easier in fan-fictions to let the guy be domineering and possessive, and call that love. Although I will admit to liking some of those fan-fictions, I'm just not the kind to write love stories that way, or at least let them stay that way. Besides, Emiko is way too free-spirited to let herself be controlled by someone else. Also, I don't see Crowley quite as possessive as some characters. He has a very 'go with the flow' kind of personality, and even though he can be a bit protective when it comes to emiko (such as the instances above) he's more inclined to let her be herself and see what happens. It's more entertaining that way.

Whew, sorry, long rant over.

Anyway, I realized i've been super bad about responding to reviews! Sorry! I promise I read every single review, and it always makes me so happy, but I just constantly keep forgetting to respond. I'll try harder, I promise! Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed!


	20. Chapter 20

Today was the day. Today Emiko's new 'chaperones' arrived. While she probably should've been getting ready, and mentally preparing herself for meeting more, probably terrifying, progenitors, Crowley could be extremely distracting. It was early morning practice, and Crowley had finally agreed to start teaching new fighting techniques today. Unfortunately, they weren't getting very far. He used showing her new stances and techniques as a chance to put his hands on her hips and thighs, or dangerously close to her breasts. They were always just lingering touches though, never lasting longer than a few seconds.

It was getting to Emiko. Emiko never considered herself a very hormonal teenager, given she spent her teenage years as a soldier. However, Being intimate with Crowley changed that. Every touch was like sparks of electricity, and they sent the butterflies in her stomach roaring to life. It was to the point where she was so distracted, she couldn't even hear what he was telling her.

"What?" Emiko asked, as she once again missed what he said. He sighed dramatically, smirking smugly as he did so. Emiko knew he knew exactly how much he was affecting her, and it was both frustrating and enticing.

"Twist your hips slightly," He ordered, his hand gliding over the small of her back lightly, and then grabbing hold of her hip, adjusting it so it was in the right place. "Remember your footing." He corrected her, swatting her thigh playfully. It startled Emiko into fallinig over. Crowley laughed, staring down at her from above. Emiko sent him a glare, but it was overshadowed by the pink of her cheeks, showing her embarrassment. She crossed her arms, attempting to look fierce. Neither of them bought it. He merely continued to laugh, and finally, Emiko broke. She laughed too. And then, while he wasn't looking, She swept her leg out, effectively knocking him off of his feet. He fell back on the floor with a startled look, clearly surprised she'd managed to trip him. Emiko laughed harder.

His look of astonishment soon faded, turning into a small grin of mischief. He grabbed her upper arm, and moved, crawling on top of her. He hovered over her, and lowered his face closer to hers. Emiko thought he was going to kiss her, but was quickly thrown off guard when his lips touched the crook her neck. His hot breath fanned over the skin, before pressing lustful open-mouthed kisses against her neck. Emiko's breath hitched in her throat, her skin tingling delightfully. His mouth travelled over her neck slowly and sensually, until stopping at the base. He pressed another kiss against the skin, and then to her surprise, began to suck on the skin. It startled a gasp from Emiko, and she arched her neck, giving him better access to the area.

He laughed lightly against the area, making the experience even more pleasant. Emiko clutched at his back, silently letting him know she wanted him to continue. His lips returned to the skin, and returned to his ministrations. Emiko didn't know what to do, but to lay back and allow the pleasure to continue. Once he was satisfied with the red mark on that particular spot, he moved to the other side of her neck, beginning to create another one there. They were both enjoying themselves, when a loud clearing of the throat interrupted them. Crowley sighed, pulling back from Emiko's throat and looking up at the doorway.

Mika stood at the entrance, a scowl upon his face. "We're busy" Crowley stated flatly, actually sounding irritated. He moved to return to Emiko's neck, but she pushed back, shoving him away until she could sit up. The look Crowley gave her, well, Emiko didn't think he pouted, but it was the closest possible thing to it. She would've laughed, if she wasn't so embarrassed at being caught in such a situation.

"What did you need Mika?" She asked, stuttering a little.

"Krul sent me to inform you the nobles from Lest Karr's faction have arrived and are waiting. She has ordered Lord Crowley, Lady Chess and Lady Horn, and you to meet them at her estate." He explained. Emi nodded, running her hands through her tangled hair. Mika left after delivering the message. Emiko moved to stand, but Crowley gripped her hand, forcing her back into place next to him. She gave him a confused look.

"We have to go meet my new babysitters." She reminded him. His eyes sparkled.

"Or, they could wait a few more minutes." He tempted, his hand devilishly crawling up her shirt. The offer was tempting, she had to admit. Unfortunately, Emiko knew a bad first impression on these new nobles could be disastrous for her.

"We could, but it might end up in my doom." She responded, pulling away and standing. She started towards the door, but then stopped. She glanced back at him. He was standing now, though he making that 'almost-pouty' face again. She grinned. "I heard from Chess that you don't particularly like the Nobles that we are meeting." She teased. She didn't wait for his response, but instead headed back towards her room. She didn't have long to get ready, as she knew for a fact noble vampires did not like to be kept waiting.

She took the quickest shower of her life and changed into a presentable dress that made her look both fashionable and professional. She needed to make a good first impression; if she didn't, well, these nobles had free reign to kill her. Within ten minutes Emiko was walking out of her room, looking prim and proper.

Chess and Horn met Emiko in the entryway. Crowley stepped out only seconds later, in his uniform. He nodded at the three of them, and they left together, heading towards Krul's estate. Crowley walked beside Emiko, and though everyone was silent, she felt as if there was something being left unspoken. Emiko sighed. "What is it?" She asked. Chess and Horn glanced at her, and then looked to Crowley.

"From now on, you need to be on your best behavior." Horn finally spoke. Emiko blinked several times.

"Do you know me at all? I don't have a best behavior. I've attacked Krul in a leaping hug, I think I can handle some stuffy nobles." Emiko acted confident, but inside she was nervous. In truth, Emiko had only managed to survive this long among the vampires because of Krul. Now, Krul didn't really have much say in whether she lived or died anymore. That was terrifying.

"Take them seriously." Crowley warned. Emiko knew that if Crowley was serious about this, then it was important for her to behave. The only problem is, Emiko didn't really know how. She didn't remember enough about her time in training at the army to know if she had any self-restraint lessons. She seriously doubted it. Emiko was a loose cannon; she knew it, Krul knew it, everyone who had ever met her knew it.

"I'll do my best." Emiko responded hesitantly. "But...if things go south, make sure Ferid knows he's an asshole and Krul knows she's a primadonna." It was a poor attempt at a joke, but it was all she had. Plus, if she ever did get the chance to give her last words, those would probably be it. Or that Crowley's a jerk. Something like that. "Crowley." Emiko said, stopping. He stopped, turning to give her a questioning glance. She punched him in the face. Everything was quiet. Chess and Horn shared a look. Emiko shrugged. "Just in case I die today, I needed to hit him one more time." Crowley raised an eyebrow at her, and she shrugged again. "You bit me a lot you jackass."

It wasn't long after that they arrived at Krul's manor. They were invited inside, and escorted to the throne room. There, Krul sat on her throne, looking bored as always. Three people stood in front of the throne, and turned to look at them as they entered the room. Emiko sized them up.

The first was a thin vampire man, wearing a hat and extremely dark makeup. The way he stared at her made her think he was peering into her soul. Scary. The man beside him was much less intimidating. Emiko could tell right off the bat he wasn't nearly as possible as the first vampire. He had gray hair, a beard, and wore strange dark glasses. He kind of reminded Emiko of a butler. The third and final newcomer was even stranger than the first. He was huge, and had long gray hair covered by a top hat. He also had weird, metal plating across his nose. Strange.

"Welcome." Krul said, sitting up straight on her throne. She beckoned them forward, and the four of them moved closer, until they stood a few feet away from the newcomers. Krul moved from her throne, coming to stand between the two groups. "Emiko, this is Nineteenth Progenitor Lucal Wesker," Krul motioned towards the scary, make up wearing vampire. "His aide Esther," Esther gave a small nod towards her. "And Nineteenth Progenitor, Mel Stefano." That was the fat one.

Emiko bowed to them. "It is an honor to meet such esteemed guests." She spoke politely. She glanced back at Horn for a second, giving her a questioning glance. Horn nodded, smiling in approval. Emiko stood up straight, waiting for the vampires to respond. The one named Lucal wesker looked her up and down quickly, and sneered.

"Why don't we just kill her now and get it over with?" He asked, turning his nose up at her.

"It does seem tedious to keep her alive." Mel boomed. Emiko pursed her lips. Seems this wasn't going to go well. Emiko glanced at Horn again for help. Horn shrugged; seemed she didn't know what to do either. Emiko looked at Krul for help next. Krul merely scowled. Emiko sighed.

"Okay, can you just let me know what you're going to do?" Emiko asked finally, crossing her arms in a defensive manner. "Cause if you're going to attack, I kind of need to start running. Or Shooting. Either or." Emiko thought perhaps her sass would gain the favor of these nobles like it did Lest Karr. That was not the case. Faster than Emiko could blink, Lucal Wesker had drawn his sword and made to gut Emiko. If it hadn't been for Crowley's quick reflexes, her innards would've spilled all over the floor.

Emiko couldn't breathe. She could only stand there, staring wide-eyed at the sword merely a centimeter away from her stomach. She looked to Crowley, a silent thank-you and and a 'holy fuck' showing in her eyes. She looked back to Lucal Wesker. His eyes were narrowed, and he was glaring openly at Emiko.

"You would protect livestock?" Lucal shot at Crowley. Crowley shrugged, smirking smugly. Krul was the only one that caught the angry glint in his eyes.

"She's useful." Was his short, simple answer.

"Plus, I'm awesome." Emiko could not for the life of her explain to anyone why she started speaking. She really should just shut up. She knew that, but the fear and anxiety seemed to be making her word vomit. "I mean, I throw a killer right hook, and my gunman skills are top notch. Plus, I'm adorable! Who doesn't love adorable?" Lucal Wesker glare turned even colder. Emiko took several steps back, and then hid behind Crowley. "Apparently, not you." She muttered. She kept yelling at herself in her head, telling her mouth to quit talking, but it seems her brain was no longer in control. She just kept talking about the most random of things. She told them the story of how she once ate a ladybug on a dare when she three, and then told them that her crushing fear of ceiling fans was all because she grabbed onto one when she was four and got stuck spinning for twenty minutes. No one even stopped her, though they certainly gave her warning looks. It was finally Krul who ended the torture.

"Emiko." She said, her voice controlled. "Stop talking." That finally seemed to make her shut up. Krul turned her attention to Lucal Wesker and Mel Stefano. "I would prefer you keep her alive. Although unrefined, she is very useful in my fight against the humans. I will be very displeased if she ends up dead." Thank the angels for Krul. Lucal looked displeased, but he sheathed the sword back at his side. Krul looked at Emiko. "I believe Ferid is here. Go keep him company. I have matters to discuss with my nobles." For once, Emiko was thankful for Ferid. She nodded, shakily running towards the door like a dog with its tail between its legs.

She left the room quickly, searching the familiar halls for the eccentric noble. She found him out front, looking quite bored. He smirked when he saw Emiko, and moved to meet her. "You know, I never thought I would prefer you over another vampire." He laughed aloud.

"I see you've met our new guests." He replied, mirth shining in his eyes. Emiko shuddered, and nodded.

"Creepy as hell, and already tried to kill me. Why are you all so weird?" She complained, pressing her face against the stone of the mansion wall.

"We've lived a long time." He answered in amusement. Emiko groaned.

"Also, I thought all vampires were supposed to be freaking gorgeous. You're gorgeous, Crowley's sexy as hell, even Lacus and Rene are handsome, but those two...things were just horrifying!" She was being dramatic now, and clearly still had a bad case of the word vomit, but she couldn't help it. She'd nearly died not even half an hour ago, and it had been very traumatizing.

"They are quite...ugly." He agreed. Emiko glanced up at him.

"Please promise me that if I die by a vampire's hands, it will be a good looking vampire." She was being completely serious, and that just made it all the more funny. Ferid laughed, but nodded.

"On my honor." He promised. Emiko's eyes narrowed at that. She shook her head.

"Naw, you gotta swear by something a lot more trustworthy." See, this is how their conversation should've gone. Ferid was a scary vampire, but he found her sassy nature funny. It wasn't supposed to nearly get her killed. Apparently, some vampires just didn't understand comedy. It wasn't soon after that, that Crowley, Horn, and Chess stepped outside. Chess immediately wrapped herself around Emi, nearly smothering her in the process.

"You are such an idiot." She muttered, while petting her hair. "Please, don't ever do that again." Emiko wobbled, trying to keep herself standing. She fell back, Chess hopping away just in time to avoid hitting the ground with her.

"I'm sorry." Emiko murmured, and she meant it. She hadn't meant to word vomit or get sassy; it had just happened. Like she said, 'loose cannon'.

"Eh, it could've been worse." Crowley spoke nonchalantly, stretching his arms behind his back. "They weren't going to like her no matter what she did anyway." Well, they all agreed on that.

Soon they departed, the four of them returning to Crowley's manor. It was there, Crowley broke the news to Emiko.

"We're moving to Nagoya?" She asked in disbelief. Crowley nodded, eyeing the glass filled with blood boredly. He'd been drinking the blood supplied to them ever since Emiko gave her 'conditions', and he was really starting to miss the taste of her blood.

"Krul gave the orders after you left. We'll be making base at Nagoya City hall."He answered. Emiko scowled at the thought of moving to Nagoya. She had just grown accustomed to her current residence, and now she was being uprooted again.

"Why?" She all but whined. Crowley raised an eyebrow, sending her an indulgent look.

"Because your new 'babysitter's' as you put it, will be presiding over Nagoya and you need to be kept nearby." Well, that sucked. Emiko honestly didn't understand why she needed more babysitters anyway. She honestly believed that Crowley could totally annihilate both Lucal and Mel all on his own. The two were scary, but they didn't actually seem all that tough.

"Fine." She relented. "When do we leave?" She asked.

"Three days."

…

Nagoya wasn't as bad as she originally thought. She'd been there before, so she knew the streets fairly well. There were a lot of clothing stores leftover from the human civilizations, which was also a plus. But perhaps the best part about Nagoya was the library. Emiko had found plenty of books about demons, and she could only hope one of them could give her a hint about how to separate herself from Mirai.

So far, there hadn't been too much luck. The books she'd read told her all about what demons are, but nothing about demon weapons or a demon sharing a body with a human host. Emiko let out an irritated sigh, dropping her head against the table. Dozens of books lay sprawled across the table, and all of them had been labeled useless to her. She was stuck.

With nothing else to do, she moved towards the bookshelf she'd found the previous books on, and began to search again. She found plenty of topics; demons, witches, even vampires. Emiko snorted at that last one. Her eyes scanned the bookcase, until it landed upon a book she hadn't seen before; Angelic Beings. Curiously, Emiko picked up the book. "Hey Mirai, do angels exist?" Emiko asked curiously. There was silence for the longest time, and Emiko briefly wondered if Mirai was ignoring her.

 _They do._

Was Mirai's simple reply. Emiko felt a jolt of excitement. She had been right then, that angels existed. Emiko clutched the book to her chest and moved back to the table. She sat down, and set the book in front of her. She opened the first few pages, and started to read. It was fascinating. The book talked of known angels, angelic ranks, and even angelic weapons.

Emiko continued to read, until she came across a surprising new chapters. "Angels and Demons?" She wondered aloud. Emiko didn't know much about the two species interacting at all. I mean, demons represented evil and angels represented good, but she'd never heard much else about it.

Emiko turned the page, beginning to read.

 _ **Angels are beings of light. They protect humanity under God's orders. Demons are beings of darkness. They seek to destroy all that is good and pure. Because of their two opposing natures, Angels and Demons have been at war since the beginning of their creation.**_

Strange. Emiko read on, turning another page. The next subheader shocked Emiko to her core. "Angels becoming Demons?" She whispered. What? How was that even possible?

 _ **Though Angels were born of light, they do not always stay this way. Like humans, they are given the ability to choose right or wrong. Upon occasion, angels have been known to fall to darkness. They have even been known to fall so far as to become demons themselves. If this happens, these demons will be extremely powerful and cruel. However, just as an Angel can become a Demon, a Demon may become an Angel. If an angel falls to darkness, it is possible to return to the light with the proper repentance.**_

"Is that true? Can angels really...fall?" She wondered aloud. "Mirai?" Emiko asked quietly, hoping the demon had an answer. An uncomfortable feeling settled in the pit of Emiko's stomach, when she didn't. Mirai knew something, otherwise she wouldn't be keeping quiet. "Mirai." Emiko said a bit more forcefully.

 _It's true._

Mirai answered, though she sounded a bit begrudging. Emiko stopped, staring off into space for the longest time. Why was Mirai so reluctant to speak about this? Had she...once been an angel? The thought sounded preposterous to Emiko, but only because she was still having a hard time accepting the fact that beings of purity could become demons. Mirai did seem different from how she expected a demon to act. Of course, she still took pleasure in irritating Emiko or causing problems, but she was always reluctant to cause Emiko pain. She could sense it, in her reluctance to reveal her past to her.

"Mirai, be honest with me. Were you an angel before you were a demon?" Emiko asked quietly. There was more silence. Finally, Mirai answered.

 _Yes._

More silence followed. Emiko took a few minutes to absorb this shocking new information. "So, how did you, you know, turn?" She whispered. Emiko wasn't sure she wanted to know. She knew that for such a pure being to become a demon, well, they must have done something pretty bad.

 _It's a long story._

Emiko sighed. That was helpful. "You do realize this information could help us both stay alive, right?" She pointed out. More silence from Mirai. Emiko let out a frustrated stream of air, rubbing her temples in annoyance. If there was anything Emiko hated more than anything, it was when someone was being cryptic. "Come on, Mirai!" Emiko shouted in frustration.

 _You're so annoying._

Emiko glared at the empty space in front of her, and crossed her arms stubbornly. There was a subtle sigh on Mirai's part.

 _Fine_

The change was instant as Mirai took control over Emiko's body. Another sigh escaped past her lips, a scowl settling over her features. "If I'm going to tell you, we're going to have to go way back to the beginning."

 _Like, preschool?_

A vein popped in Mirai's forehead. "No, you idiot, like the beginning of humankind. Well, more like the beginning of civilization. Angels didn't pay too much attention to the humans before then. You see, at first, Angels viewed humans like any other species-just animals inhabiting the Earth. That changed when humans began to build. It became clear to angels that humans had an intellect far higher than those of regular animals. An intellect far closer to our own. That worried most angels. Humans weren't pushed towards purity and light naturally like angels. They had nothing but their own morals to guide them. Angels feared that without that natural push to good, Humans would destroy the Earth and lead the demons to victory over us."

 _What did you do?_

Mirai frowned at Emiko's question. "Well, for us, it was natural. We needed to destroy mankind. Such an existence was far too powerful, too dangerous. Unfortunately for angels, we couldn't directly intervene with humans. We had to find indirect methods of destroying you. We usually caused natural disasters or compelled humans to evil to kill other humans."

 _That sounds more like demons._

"Exactly." Mirai agreed. "In trying to destroy humans, we hadn't realized we were destroying our own purity. Most Angels still don't realize this. Several thousand years back, I was going along with the other angels, working to destroy mankind. That is, until I started to really observe them. I watched them live and die, how they made families and towns and worked together. I watched as desperation drove some to do terrible things, and how some of them chose morality despite desperation. I was...intrigued. Humans weren't as bad as we originally thought. They could actually create wonderful things, if given the proper tools. I wanted to know more about them, so I left what you humans would call heaven.

As I said earlier, angels aren't allowed to directly interfere with humans, so leaving heaven to spend time among them permanently cast me out. Not that I really minded. Angels weren't exactly good company. Anyway, I began to live my life among the humans. I never really spent too much time with them, I just liked to watch them live, change, and choose. Until I met Helen."

 _Helen?_

Mirai nodded absent-mindedly. "Yes. She was probably five at the time I first met her. She had faced many hardships at such a young age, but she always managed to smile. I'd never seen a human be able to do that. I began to watch over her, protecting her from harm and trying to give her a life she deserved. She eventually realized someone was watching over her, which is where the term 'guardian angel' comes from. She was always helping someone. It was like, she didn't know how to live any other way but kindness and happiness. She was what an angel should've really been. And we angels, well, we shouldn't have been compelling humans to evil or trying to kill them off. We should be helping them choose good.

I decided to return to Heaven's gates, and asked for a meeting with the high council. Reluctantly, they agreed. I plead to them my case about the humans. I used Helen as a prime example of what humans could be, if we just gave them the chance and means. None of them agreed, and as a result, they set off a tsunami that killed Helen. I was devastated. I had caused her death, and even as a demon the guilt of that still haunts me. When I found her body, I didn't know what else I could do for her. Then, I realized. Helen still had a daughter. I made her a promise; I would protect her children and her children's children, until the day that my power ran out."

 _Did you keep your promise?_

"Yes." Mirai answered hesitantly. "I did. For thousands of years. Each and every child I blessed and cared for. Consequently, my power began to fade. Angels aren't like humans; we can't create our own energy or power. We have to be sustained by something else. The source of that sustenance was in Heaven, a place I could no longer visit."

 _Why didn't you just stop protecting them?_

"I didn't want to. I didn't care that my power was fading, as long as I could look over Helen's family. Each and every member of her line was just like her; happy and loving. I couldn't abandon them. Unfortunately, the loss of power meant I wouldn't be able to care for them much longer. Your mother was the last of her line I was able to bless before I lost my corporeal form."

Shock filled Emiko's system at her words. Her mother? She was a descendant of Helen? Had Mirai really been protecting her family for that long?

 _So...when my parents died…_

Mirai nodded gravely. "I wasn't able to protect them. Watching your mother die was painful. And you, you were so young and happy. I couldn't let you die, but I didn't have a body anymore. So, I possessed your body. Through you, I killed the vampire that killed your parents. And when that was done, I left your body only to discover that the last of my power had stayed with you."

 _So, what became of you?_

"What happens to someone when all the good is gone?" Mirai murmured. Deep understanding filled Emiko. Her power was the only thing keeping Mirai an angel. And when she had used the last of it to save Emiko, she had become a demon. Mirai nodded along with Emiko's thought process. "I became a demon, and I never expected to run into you ever again. It seems fate had different plans though."

 _I picked you as my demon weapon._

"Yes. I thought 'maybe it's my eternal job to protect you now, since my angelic power lived inside of you.' That was fine, and I supposed if I would serve anyone, it should be you. But then, Guren wanted to see what would happen if you put two conflicting souls into one body. And now, here we are. A demon and an angel, sharing one body."

 _Is...is this why we're dying?_

"Yes, Emiko. This is why we're dying."

...

 **So, lots revealed! This chapter was so hard to write, mostly because my laptop is being a fucking asshole. Honestly, it's just being so slow! Anyways, I know a lot still hasn't been explained and/or is cryptic, don't worry I'll get around too it. We have to pace ourselves people! Also, as may have noticed, I am having lots of fun writing about Crowley and Emiko! :D They make me happy. I left out the fun facts last chapter, so I'll put up two!**

 **I was really torn about Emiko using guns instead of a sword at first, because I wanted her to be a close combat fighter. However, Yu was already using a sword and Kimizuki was, and Guren was. So, I decided to use guns. Despite this, I still see Emiko as being a very talented close combat fighter, and she often uses her guns to block and hit in close combat.**

 **Emiko didn't learn to sew until after the virus hit. It was something she learned after she found out the apocalypse means drab clothing.**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please review, favorite, and follow! Honestly guys I'm not going to force you to review cause I'm just not that kind of writer, but it really does help me write when I get people telling me what they like and don't like, or just that they look forward to the next chapter!**


	21. Chapter 21

Nagoya was quite beautiful from above. All the buildings, the park, even the vampires walking among the gardens. It was all peaceful, delicate. It reminded Emiko of her time as a child. She had always been playing out in the gardens. She would roll around in the grass, run after the many pets she had, or chase the butler with a garden hose. Perhaps to some it seemed chaotic, but there was never a more simple time in her life. Looking at the supposed tranquility of Nagoya made her feel nostalgic, for a lot of things.

She missed her parents. They had always brought her comfort and love. She missed the innocence of childhood. Being ignorant to the cruelty and complexities of the world had been frustrating at the time, but now, oh how she would love to go back to ignorance. Emiko had spent so long wanting to regain her memories. When she remembered the torture that had been inflicted upon her by someone she'd loved, that desire had faded. It was then she realized that ignorance truly was bliss.

So, why did she keep searching for answers? She had learned, time and time again, that answers only brought heartache, and even more questions. Emiko stared down at the city sadly. It looked so peaceful, from so far away. It was only when you reached your destination you realized the horror.

"What are you doing way up here?" Horn approached, a soft lilt to her voice. She must've sensed the forlorn surrounding Emiko. She approached cautiously, stepping into line beside Emiko. Her eyes trailed over the sight below, before returning her attention to Emiko. "Is something wrong?" She asked. Emiko shrugged.

"I don't really know." She answered softly. That wasn't true. Something was definitely wrong, Emiko just didn't know how to put it into words. She felt like she was stuck in space. Like everything around her felt like it was either frozen or on fire, and she couldn't decide which she'd rather die from. "Just...thinking, I guess. Wondering about my life. Have you ever stopped and just asked yourself 'why did all of this happen? Why me?' I keep asking myself these questions, and I can't come up with any answers." She explained.

"Fate, maybe." Horn answered surprisingly. Emiko glanced at her in surprise. "Or chance. Perhaps it's consequential. Not even vampires know why things happen. I suppose that knowledge is left to the gods." Horn's voice was filled with it's own kind of gentle wonder that took Emiko by surprise.

"You believe in Gods?" Emiko asked quietly. Horn hummed thoughtfully.

"I may be a vampire, but i'm not quite so vain to believe we're the strongest species in existence, especially after having met a demon." She glanced at Emiko meaningfully. Emiko shrugged as a response.

"I think you'd be the first." She joked half-heartedly. Finally, Emiko sighed, and stretched her limbs. It was time to end all this existential crisis thinking and get back to living. Not that living was exactly preferable at the moment. "Alright, what's on the agenda?" She asked. Horn smiled.

"It seems that Lucal Wesker is curious about your fighting capabilities. He's demanded you display your abilities." She explained. Emiko's eye twitched.

" _Demanded_?" Emiko spat out, the word tasting bitter on her tongue. Emiko scowled openly. Horn shot her a warning look.

"Remember Emi, he has authorization to kill you." She reminded the temperamental human. "And he's nearly already done so. It's best if you behave-"

"Yes, yes, I know, I need to behave." Emiko interrupted, irritation clear in her voice. "I really think you all have this idea in your head that I'm capable of that." She was being snarky now, and Horn didn't really appreciate it. However, she ignored it for the time being, as she could tell that beneath the levels of sass and irritation, something was troubling Emiko.

The two of them soon arrived at an open court gym, where Crowley, Lucal Wesker, and his servant Esther were waiting. Crowley smiled pleasantly, which clearly meant he was annoyed. Lucal Wesker had a deep scowl on his face, and Emiko could already tell this wasn't going to go well. She stopped a few feet away from the both of them, giving them both a blank stare. "You demanded my presence, oh great one?" Lucal's eyebrow twitched, making it clear he'd heard the deep sarcasm in Emiko's words and that he didn't like it. Crowley sent Emiko a slightly exasperated look. She ignored him.

"It's like she's asking to be killed." Esther murmured quietly by his master's side. Lucal nodded his agreement, his eyes still narrowed on Emiko. Emiko felt the childish urge to stick her tongue out at him, but decided against it. Despite her many, many problems, she did enjoy being alive, and she was quite fond of her ability to speak.

"Livestock." Lucal addressed her coldly. "Lord Crowley expresses high praise of your combat skills. I would like to assess them myself." Wasn't he a lower rank than Crowley? She didn't know how it worked in Vampire society, but that almost seemed like an insult to Crowley. She glanced at the thirteenth progenitor curiously. By his pleasant look, she could still detect the layers of annoyance. Emiko returned her attention to Lucal, shrugging nonchalantly.

"Of course. What form of combat shall I display?" She asked, trying to keep her tone polite. She wasn't doing a very good job. Lucal's eyes narrowed further.

"What sort of impertinence is this? Show me all of your combative qualities and stop badgering me with questions you lowly swine." And there went her self-control. Crowley and Horn both saw the invisible restraints snap, and reacted accordingly. Crowley grabbed hold of Emiko, stopping her from leaping at the Noble. Horn left in search of Chess, in case things got ugly.

"Okay, you know what, I tried! I tried!" Emiko shouted angrily. Hatred seethed behind her blue orbs, and her outstretched arms reached to claw at Lucal. "Listen here, bitchstick, I'm going to wipe your ugly, depressing face all over this floor and I'm going-hmph! Mmf!" Crowley placed his free hand over her mouth, cutting off any further dialogue. Emiko kicked her legs out, fighting desperately to attack the annoying noble vampire in front of her. Crowley laughed joyously, all the while keeping her restrained and quiet.

"Amusing, isn't she?" He offered playfully. Lucal did not look amused in the least. His glare landed on Crowley this time, something turning behind his gaze.

"Why do you defend this pathetic human?" He hissed. Crowley shrugged.

"She's grown on me." Was his simple answer. Then, Crowley leaned forward, that terrifying pleasant smile returning to his face. "And if you lay finger on her, I'll disembowel you." With those polite last words, Crowley threw Emiko over his shoulder and disappeared. Once they were back at Nagoya City hall and a safe distance away, he set her down. She was practically fuming, glaring up at Crowley angrily.

"Why'd you stop me? I could've done us all a favor and killed him!" She snapped. Crowley tisked.

"That wouldn't have solved anything. It'd only serve for Lest Karr to kill you, and it's for the best he doesn't get involved again." Emiko crossed her arms and pouted. Although she understood what Crowley was saying, she didn't like it in the least. She wanted to get rid of Lucal Wesker and Mel Stefano and be done with it. She had enough problems as is, and she didn't need them making her life more difficult.

"Then, can I prank them?" She asked. He glanced down at her, amusement shining in his eyes.

"Don't provoke them more than necessary." He advised.

"I pranked you and I survived!" She objected. He shook his head.

"I like your spirit. They do not." She frowned. He kind of had a point, and it was pissing her off. She wanted to get back at Lucal in some way for that 'swine' comment. She'd grown more accustomed to the use of the word 'livestock', considering vampires literally used it all the time, but swine was going way too far. She wanted to punch his lights out for that one.

"Why do you like my spirit?" She asked suddenly. "Why do you like me at all?" She wondered aloud. Not that Emiko didn't find herself totally likable, but her and Crowley hadn't started on the best of terms. Okay, _she_ hadn't started on the best of terms. Crowley was harder to read, even now. Crowley frowned, obviously thinking about something. Finally, he shrugged.

"I don't really know." Emiko scowled. He had to be messing with her. Crowley laughed at her expression. "Don't pout." He teased her. Her scowl deepened. She wanted to argue with him, but she knew it wouldn't get her anywhere. She dropped the subject.

"Where am I going to train? Certainly not outside?" She asked. He glanced down at her.

"There's a room here in the capital that would work as a gym." He explained simply. She nodded. "There's also a music room." He hinted. Her scowl returned and she crossed her arms.

"I don't play music anymore." She huffed. He gave her a curious look. She ignored it, and instead continue walking along. She didn't want to tell him that music made her sad. It reminded her of all the things she had lost, and she wasn't one to ruminate. Or at least, she didn't want to be. Emiko had always told herself that she didn't have time to worry about things she couldn't change. Obviously she didn't stick to those words all the time, but she attempted to at the very least. Lately, sticking to that belief was getting harder and harder though. There was so much she couldn't change and yet, so much she wanted to. She couldn't help thinking that if she just tried harder she could fix things. Unfortunately, that wasn't always the way the world worked.

Crowley and her parted, and Emiko headed to the gym. She was still angry about earlier, and she needed to work off some of that. She found the gym with a servant's help, and quickly went to work on some drills. Lately Crowley had been teaching her muay thai. It was a scary offensive martial art, and Emiko had been picking up on it fairly quickly. Unfortunately, all the thoughts running through her mind kept distracting her, and in turn she was messing up her footing. She sighed in frustration, brushing the hair out of her face.

 _Why not just tell someone already?_

Emiko made a face. "Because who would believe me? Plus, telling someone 'hey I'm an angel' is a little pretentious. I'm not even technically an angel anyway. You're an angel, you just messed up my life by giving me your psycho crazy angel powers." There was heavy silence.

 _I saved your life with 'my psycho crazy angel powers', and stop being a bitch._

"Wha-! How dare-Ugh!" Emiko growled in annoyance.

 _Plus, I'm not an angel, not anymore. The power rightfully belongs to you now._

"I don't want it." Emiko growled in annoyance.

 _Tough luck. You're an angel now. Or, well, half._

"Half? You said I was an angel!" Emiko objected.

 _I didn't have enough power left for you to be a full angel. Power grows in humans, but slowly. It would be several centuries before your power reached that of a full angel._

"Would?" She asked. Mirai was silent, and Emiko soon realized why. Would, as in she wouldn't be living that long. That brought the conversation to a halt. Emiko sighed, and returned to practice. Soon it was evening, and Emiko headed to the kitchens for dinner. She searched the fridge for food, pushing aside bags of blood. She found a carton of milk and some ham. Pulling those out, she then searched the cabinets, thankfully coming across some bread. She made herself a sandwich and poured a glass of milk, taking a seat at the empty table.

She ate quietly, thinking over what Mirai had said. She clearly didn't believe anything could be done to save them now. Chess nearly barrelled into the room, suddenly distracting Emiko from her thoughts. She tripped and stumbled (a rare sight to see of a Progenitor) and stopped in front of Emiko. She slapped her hand down beside the plate of food, making Emiko jump.

"We're pranking Lucal Wesker, now!" Then she grabbed Emiko's arm, and pulled her out of the room before Emiko had a chance to respond. They raced down the hallway at top speed, Emiko nearly tripping to keep up.

"Crowley said I shouldn't!" Emiko called to Chess. Chess glanced back at Emiko, a mischievous grin on her face.

"Lord Crowley doesn't have to know." She responded teasingly. Emiko dug her heels into the ground, pulling the both of them to a stop. Emiko crossed her arms.

"You're not one to disobey Crowley." Emiko stated suspiciously. What was Chess planning? Chess sighed in exasperation.

"I've disobeyed him plenty of times. Do you think he would've wanted me to help you prank him?" She asked pointedly. Well, she had a point. Emiko huffed.

"Point taken. Still, why would you want me to prank Lucal Wesker?" She wondered. Chess scowled.

"Because he's an idiot. I heard he called you swine, and he called me a hyperactive bunny. We have to get back at him." She exasperated. Emiko sighed slowly, and then grinned.

"We can't let him get away with this." Emiko agreed. The realization that she might very well die for this was clear to Emiko, but that had never stopped her before. Honestly, she was getting far too serious. A good prank would remind her who she really is. Chess laughed and hugged onto Emiko.

"Okay, what are we going to do?" She asked secretively. Emiko thought about it, wondering just what she could do to punish the fifteenth progenitor for his arrogant ways. Slowly, a grin spread across her face. She knew exactly what she was going to do.

…

As always, Emiko's plan was a terrible idea. That just made it all the more fun. Giggling quietly to herself, Emiko snuck into the darkened bedroom. Chess' part of the plot had already been fulfilled, when she'd sneakily snuck a sedative into his glass of blood. Now, he was out cold. Trying to stifle her laughing, she pulled the bottle of nair from behind her back. She approached the sleeping progenitor, and opened the bottle of nair, and leaned down to put some over both eyebrows. He didn't stir in the slightest. Next, she used a cloth to wipe it off. Her giggles returned in full force at the sight of him without eyebrows. She covered her mouth with her hand, backing up to exit the room.

In doing so, she ran right into something standing behind. Jumping, Emiko turned around, finding Esther looking down at her with a glare. She gulped nervously, hiding the nair and cloth behind her back. She smiled sheepishly up at him. He continued to glare, and reached out, moving to grab her upper arm. Emiko's instincts reacted properly, as she dodged him effectively and roundhouse kicked him in the chest. Then, she ran like hell.

Panic started to fill her as she traveled through the halls of their estate. She hoped she could escape before Esther managed to wake Lucal up. She found Chess standing at the entrance to their estate. "We have to get out of here!" She yelled as she grabbed Chess' hand, racing towards the capital.

"What happened?" Chess shouted as they ran.

"Esther saw me! I'm so dead!" Emiko felt sick to her stomach. She knew, she knew something like this was going to happen, and she still did it! Why did she have to be so stupid! They managed to arrive back at the capital without anyone chasing after them, but they knew it was only a matter of time.

"We can hide in my room." Chess urged, pulling on Emiko's arm. Emiko shook her head.

"Screw that, I'm hiding in Crowley's room." She squeaked. She let go of Chess, racing down the halls on her own.

"He's sleeping!" Chess called after her, but she didn't sound too disappointed. Emiko ignored her, and ran down the halls till she found Crowley's room. Subtly lost, Emiko threw the door open and rushed into the room, diving underneath the covers before Crowley even had a chance to open his eyes. Once he did, he sat up, glancing around the room and then at the lump on the other side of his bed. Curiously, he peeled the covers back.

He saw a flash of blonde hair and then she'd ripped the covers out of his grasp and pulled them back over her head. "What are you doing?" He asked, amusement laced into his tone. Emiko whimpered lightly.

"You know that thing you told me not to do?" She squeaked, voice muffled by the covers. His grin slowly fell.

"You didn't." He stated, a frown covering his lips.

"I did." She muttered fearfully. "And Esther saw me! I'm in so much trouble!" Just as she spoke the words, there was a loud crash down the hall and a shout of anger. She jumped and clutched at the covers tightly, fingers trembling. Crowley sighed and stood. Sending her a final frown over his shoulder, Crowley approached the open door. He left the room, and moments later there was angry shouting out in the hallway, followed by Crowley's calmer words. Emiko winced, but could not understand the words being said between the two of them. There was an eerie silence that soon followed, and then a loud shout of pain.

Crowley soon returned to the room, one of his hands covered in blood. Peeking her eyes up through the covers, she eyed the blood warily, but said nothing. Crowley left to the bathroom, and Emiko heard the sink turn on. A few moments later, the sound of running water stopped and he returned into the room, blood washed off.

Emiko sat up, staring at Crowley curiously. "What happened?" She asked finally. He glanced at her, a twitch of irritation in his eye. He closed the door to his bedroom and then approached the bed. He sat down on the edge.

"Tomorrow you'll be meeting with the queen to discuss punishments." Emiko winced again. She supposed that was the best she was going to get though, considering what she did. Emiko nodded her acceptance, and then moved to climb off of the bed. Crowley acted quickly, reaching out and grabbing hold of her waist. Emiko let out a squeak of surprise as he pulled her back against his form. He pushed the hair away from her neck, leaning down to release hot air against the curve of her neck. She shivered.

"Stay here with me." Emiko froze. What was he implying? If he was implying what she thought he was implying..well, Emiko wasn't ready for that. Nowhere near ready. She twisted her head, turning to glance at him cautiously. Noting the slight panic in her eyes, he gave a reassuring smile. "Sleep next to me." He rephrased. Emiko visibly relaxed, though still seemed a bit cautious.

"What do you want?" She asked. He raised an eyebrow questioningly. She sighed, realizing she would have to elaborate. "Unless you're asking for...something else, I don't see what's in it for you." She answered. His answer was to lay back, pulling her with him. She rested with her head on his chest, and she was unsure of how to respond.

"I want to be near you, Emiko." He whispered quietly next to her ear. Her heart jumped in her chest. Did he really just say that? She couldn't convince herself that he had just admitted that to her, but...he had. She'd heard it with her own two ears. She moved to sit up so she could ask him to say it again, but he kept her trapped against his chest. He shushed her. "Go to sleep." He murmured. Part of her wanted to snap at him, and tell him not to order her around. The other part of her found that she was starting to find this extremely comfortable. She thought being this close to him, lying in his bed would maker her nervous, and it had, for a moment. But again, she found she was naturally so comfortable around him, always felt so safe. And without her approval, her eyes started to close on their own.

…

Krul was, to put it lightly, pissed. She paced the floors of her throne room, glancing at Emiko every few seconds. Crowley waited patiently beside her, looking as pleasant as always. Suddenly Krul stopped, abruptly turning to Crowley. "Why didn't you stop her?" She snapped at him, eyes blazing with fury. Crowley glanced at Emiko, and then looked back at Krul.

"I told her it was unwise." He explained calmly. "You know how she is." He stated, as if that explained everything. According to Krul's expression, it did. Exasperated mixed with the fury on her face and she turned to Emiko.

"I thought you were smarter than this." She accused her. Emiko shrugged, chewing her cheek nervously.

"That was clearly a judgement fail on your part." If possible, Krul's look became deadlier. Emiko let out a sheepish laugh, and took a cautious step back. Perhaps now wasn't the time to be sassy, she reasoned. "Sorry, force of reflex." She squeaked. Krul growled in annoyance, and began to pace again.

"Lucal went straight to Lest Karr, now, it's been decided that Karr will get to decide your punishment." She growled. "I have no authority over whether you live or die." Oh. That didn't sound good. Emiko glanced at Crowley.

"Okay, here's the plan. I'm going to run, you guys cover for me." She turned, fully prepared to take off, when the doors. Lucal Wesker and his servant Esther walked through the double doors. Lucal glared heatedly when he caught sight of Emiko. Emiko on the other hand, tried to stifle a laugh. Despite the very serious situation on her hands, she had to admire her own handiwork. The loss of his eyebrows did not do Lucal any favors. Lucal's eyes raged with fury, and he grabbed his sword, the intention clear in his eyes. Emiko came prepared this time. She grabbed the guns out of their holsters, pointing them at Lucal. She shot, the bullet colliding with Lucal's hand. A horrible sound left his lips as the bullet shot through his hand and the blade fell from his fingers.

Emiko smiled pleasantly at his enraged features. "Go ahead and attack. I'm prepared this time." She'd never felt so smug as she did at that moment. The hesitation on his face, the flicker from her guns to her face, well, she felt pretty powerful knowing he was cautious of her.

"Emiko." Krul spoke sharply. Emiko didn't take her eyes off of Lucal. "Back down. Now." She ordered coldly. Emiko stared at him for a few moments longer. Then, she sighed, dropping her guns to her sides.

"Fine." She relented begrudgingly. She stuck her guns back in their holsters, and shuffled closer towards Crowley. If she was going to turn her back on them, she needed to be closer to someone with faster reflexes. Sending Lucal and Esther a suspicious glance, she slowly turned around to face Krul again.

"Karr should be calling any mome-" It was then the holographic image of Lest Karr appeared before them. He studied the room for a moment with an emotionless stare, before his eyes settled on Emiko. He motioned her forward. Emiko glanced at Crowley and then at Krul, and then stepped forward nervously. He rested his head on his palm boredly, in a manner similar to the way Krul did.

"Tell me, livestock, did you attack my noble servant?" He asked coolly. Emiko gulped. Before when she had met Lest Karr, he had seemed a bit more...friendly. Now he looked a bit like Krul the first time Emiko had met her; like he had much better things to do.

"I wouldn't necessarily call it 'attacking' him. I pulled a prank, really a harmless prank. He called me swine-"

"And that matters?" He asked. Emiko tried to keep her calm. A mixture of irritation and fear had managed to break loose in Emiko's veins, and she was desperately trying not to let it show. She didn't like being intimidated, but she liked being threatened even less. There was definitely a silent threat lying in the air now. She cleared her throat.

"How would you like it if I called you leech?" Her voice shook slightly. A slight grin curled the edge of Karr's mouth.

"She will live as a livestock for a few weeks as punishment. Perhaps it's time she remembered her place." The holographic image ended before Emiko could protest. She glanced around the room, taking in everyone's reactions. Lucal looked even more infuriated than he did before, probably Karr hadn't ordered her death. Krul scowled, clearly disliking the idea. Crowley openly frowned, and glanced back at Emiko to gauge her reaction. She shrugged, though her expression showed a certain level of misery that was befitting of the situation.

"Does that mean I have to wear those ugly uniforms?"

...

 **Fun fact:**

 **Emiko didn't learn to sew until after the virus hit. It was something she learned after she found out the apocalypse means drab clothing.**

 **Thanks for reading! Please review, favorite, and follow!**


	22. Chapter 22

She did have to wear the uniform. She stared at herself in the mirror, scrunching her nose up in disgust. She couldn't believe this was how Lest Karr decided to punish her. Why hadn't he killed her? Wasn't disrespecting a noble vampire like, grounds for the death penalty? She wasn't quite sure, but she could only assume by the way Lucal Wesker reacted. Then again, she'd disrespected plenty of noble vampires, and she'd never been killed then either.

"This is completely unnecessary." She muttered to herself. Krul stood in the doorway of the room, eyeing Emiko. She was admittedly concerned; it wasn't like Lest Karr to do something like this. Normally, he would've had Emiko killed for such an offense. He must want something, for him to be pulling a stunt like this.

"It's your own fault." Krul responded flatly. Emiko glanced sideways at Krul, and then turned to face her. "Mel Stefano has been ordered to keep watch over you, and report back to Karr. If you attack city guards, if you cause problems, you will be killed." She explained calmly. Emiko was silent for a moment, mulling over what Krul said. She didn't doubt for a second that she could die if she acted out. She could feel it, in her bones, that her luck was about to run out. She had gotten away with a lot because Krul and Crowley protected her, but that wouldn't last any longer. Whether she liked it or not, she was going to have to learn how to behave.

"I understand." Emiko replied softly. She glanced up to meet Krul's harsh gaze. "Before I go though...there is something you need to know…" She trailed off, unsure of how to continue. Krul glanced at her questioningly. "My memories have returned. All of them." Emiko clarified. There was a long pause.

"I thought Mirai was hiding them from you?" She asked. Emiko played with her fingers, trying to calm the heavy feeling in her chest. Emiko was frightened; she didn't know how Krul would take the news.

"She was." She answered, and then swallowed heavily. "But then, I discovered the thing she was trying to hide from me. The truth is, I'm an angel." Emiko explained everything as Krul stood there, eyes narrowed and expression unreadable. Even as she explained the reasons behind why she was dying, her expression did not change.

"Are you a seraph?" She asked. Emiko blinked in surprise. Seraph? Emiko had never heard the term. Her memories only showed her that she was an angel, though she'd never understood how or why until Mirai had recently explained. It was surprising when two white feathered wings extended out of her back when she was fourteen.

"What is a seraph?" She asked. Krul glanced away, a deep contemplative look on her face. Finally, she sighed loudly.

"Tell no one about this. Does that human boy you spoke with know?" She asked. Emiko nodded.

"Guren? Yes. He was the only one who did know. I'm supposed to meet him in a week to figure out if he has found a cure for my condition, but I obviously can't do that now." She muttered the last part disdainfully. Krul didn't bother reminding her again that it was her fault.

"Meet with him after. How is your illness? Can you hold up for another two weeks?" She asked seriously. Emiko wasn't sure, and Krul could see that on her face. Krul knew Emiko well enough to know she was trying to hang on, to ignore it. Krul also knew that she was being torn apart inside. It was no wonder this was happening either; a force of darkness and a force of light residing in a mostly human body. Her body can only handle so much stress. "I'll do my best to shorten your punishment, but in order for it to work you must behave. I believe Lest Karr wants to test your loyalty to humans and your level of self preservation. He wants to know if you are a tool he can use, or a threat he must destroy."

…

Emiko felt awkward walking the streets of Sanguinem as a livestock. She had two of Mel's servants trailing behind her, watching her for any signs of disobedience. Many of the children had attempted at first to approach her, but they had frozen in place when they'd seen her stalkers. She didn't blame them; if she had lived her life like this, she would've frozen as well.

So far, things hadn't been too terrible. Most of the city guards she came across knew her, so they also knew to avoid her. She did worry what would happen if one who was unfamiliar with her came across her, but she figured she would cross that bridge when she came to it. The lights in the city were beginning to dim, informing all of the city's residents it was getting close to night. Soon, she would be taking residence in a street corner for sleep.

The food was even worse than her sleeping arrangements though. She thought the food at Crowley's was awful, the food they fed the kids was a million times worse. It was like they were actually feeding them garbage. Once this was over, she was going to be having a serious conversation with Krul about the residents of Sanguinem's eating arrangements.

Emiko turned a dimly lit corner, finding herself in the city square. It was the same place where she had held the christmas party for the kids. She could still see the candles surrounding the square, the garlands wrapped around lamp posts and the edge of tables. She could still smell the roast and fresh cookies too. That had been a wonderful night, for everyone. Emiko had wanted to have the party to cheer up the kids, but she had also secretly wanted it for herself. There were times in life that made it hard to be happy. It was in those times Emiko had realized you had to make your own happiness. So, that's what she did. Or, what she tried to do. Sometimes it was impossible to make light of one's situation, no matter how hard you tried.

Glancing around the clearing, she took a seat next to one of the lamp posts. It got cold in Sanguinem, so she did her best to find some comfort. Of course, the lights would go out eventually and she would be left in the dark and cold. She usually tried to be asleep before then. The cold, Emiko could handle. The dark was another thing entirely.

She peered her eyes over to her two stalkers. They'd been following her around nonstop since she started her punishment two days ago. One was burly with an angular face and unruly dark hair he tried to keep tame atop his head. The other was thin and lanky, with eyes so cold she worried they could freeze her in her place. Both wore suits that reminded Emiko of Nineteenth century butlers.

"You guys wanna play a game?" She asked, propping her head up on her hand. It would still be a while before the lights fully went out, and she needed some way to occupy her time. "We could play I spy." She offered. It garnered no response. She huffed. "Hide n' seek?" She tried again. Still no response. She gave up. "Fine, no games then. How about a nice chat?" They didn't even move. They just stood there, like statues. Grumbling to herself, Emiko curled into herself and laid her head against the stone ground. She sighed, wiggling around as she tried to find a comfortable position.

She closed her eyes, hoping to fall asleep quickly. She thought of her family. Not her parents, but the family she had gained at the army. Guren was the first member of her new family, though he had also been the one to betray her. Then Shinya. She smiled at the thought of him. She adored Shinya. When she was younger, she'd had a bit of a crush on him, followed him around like a lost little duckling. He'd never called her annoying though, and he seemed to find her endearing. Her thoughts turned to Mahiru. Her smile quickly turned into a frown. Her and Mahiru had never really been that close. Mahiru was too hidden, too unwilling to open up to others. The only person Mahiru had really ever been close with was Guren. Then, there was Shinoa. Emiko felt guilty about leaving Shinoa.

Shinoa had been the closest in age to Emiko, and the two had been constant companions. They had trained together and fought together. Shinoa had been on Emiko's team while she was still a member of the Vampire extermination unit. Emiko had been close with the other members of her team, but her and Shinoa were sisters. Leaving had probably hurt Shinoa deeply, and Emiko could only hope she'd forgive her one day.

Despite the uncomfortable sleeping position, Emiko fell asleep pretty quick once she quieted her thoughts down. Her sleep was peaceful and uneventful, and she woke with new vampires watching over her. Emiko stood and stretched out her limbs, trying to free herself of the ache sleeping on the ground had caused. She glanced over at her new stalkers, studying them carefully. They were complete opposites, one of them being large and round, and the other so thin she felt she could blow on him and send him flying. "So, hi." Emiko greeted them. They didn't respond. She huffed. It seems they'd been ordered to ignore her, just like the others.

Emiko started to walk the streets of Sanguinem, heading towards the donation center. Today was her day to give blood, and she figured it was best if she just got it over with. She stopped in a line behind the the other residents of Sanguinem, waiting impatiently for the line to move. Finally, the line moved up until Emiko was sitting in a chair, waiting for the needle. Emiko glanced around the room. Nervously, she realized they were sticking the needle into their necks instead of their arms. She rubbed her neck.

Emiko didn't like the idea of them sticking a needle into her neck, despite the fact that she'd been bitten there multiple times. Something about it just seemed...intimidating. The nurse approached Emiko's station, not even glancing at her as she readied the needle. Before Emiko was ready, she stuck the needle in the vein in her neck. Emiko nearly socked her in the face, jumping up at the sudden sharp pain. The nurse narrowed her eyes on Emiko, glaring disdainfully. Emiko sent her a glare of her own.

"A little warning next time." She hissed.

"Quiet livestock." The vampire snarled in return. Emiko's hand twitched with the desire to hit her. She glanced towards her stalkers, secretly wondering if they were watching. They were, very closely she might add. She forced her fist to unravel, and she leaned back in the chair, blatantly ignoring the vampire nurse. 'Don't want to die, don't wait to die,' She chanted mentally, hoping to keep herself from doing something hasty.

Fortunately, it wasn't too long before the leech nurse tore the needle from her neck. Emiko stood, and then grabbed the seat's armrest as black spots danced across her vision. It occurred to Emiko that the nurse had probably taken more blood than necessary, in order to punish her for her outburst. Giving herself a second to breathe and regain her footing, Emiko then stood up straight. She glared heatedly at the smirking nurse, and stormed out of the building angrily.

"Stupid leech." Emiko cursed once outside of the building. She glanced at her stalkers with narrowed eyes. "I mean both of you too." She snapped angrily. Neither of them even acted as if they'd heard her. Growling, Emiko muttered to herself as she walked the streets of Sanguinem. She wasn't really going anywhere, but she did stop when she came across a terrible scene nearby.

A city guard, one Emiko didn't recognize, was holding a child no older than ten by the neck. The child cried loudly, begging the vampire to let them go as they pried at the vampire's hands. Emiko made a move towards them, but then stopped. She looked back at her stalkers. Once again, they were watching her closely. She bit her lip, thinking over her options. Getting involved could get her killed, but every fiber of her being was telling her to step in and do something.

"Ah, screw it." She muttered, and headed in the direction of the city guard. She stopped a few feet away, placing her hands on her hips. "Hey!" She called loudly, garnering the city guard's attention. He zeroed in on her, sneering hatefully. "Let him go." She ordered. The two stared each other down for several long moments.

"Piss off, human scum." He snarled. Emiko jerked back in surprise, at the animosity and vulgarity he used. He didn't sound like most vampires, who even when insulting humans, sounded proper. No, Emiko got the impression he was a fairly young vampire, though powerful for his age.

"Oi! You don't speak to ladies like that, vampire or not." Emiko chided him, narrowing her eyes in a playfully taunting manner. She took a step closer. "Now, let the boy down or-" During her little speech, the temperamental guard had dropped the boy to the ground, ran towards Emiko, and now had her by the throat instead. He lifted her clear off of the ground, his fingers digging into the column of her neck. She gasped for air, pulling at his hand to no avail. She had been right in her earlier assumption; he was strong.

"Learn your place, you whining bitch." He sneered. "You are beneath us." He hissed, and then his eyes narrowed, a smirk forming over his lips. His eyes trailed over her body with a new found lust. "Maybe literally, if you're a good girl." He said hungrily. Disgust welled inside of Emiko, and her body acted on it's own accord. She kicked him right in the family jewels with all the strength she could muster. His grip on her neck loosened and fell as he dropped to the ground, clutching at himself painfully.

"As if I would ever do anything with you! You're awful! Abusing children and acting like an arrogant asshat, I feel disgusted even looking at you!" Emiko spat back. He glared up at her hatefully. Emiko saw his arm reach out, but didn't have time to dodge as his hand grabbed her leg.

A scream pierced the air at the sickening sound of cracking bone. Emiko went tumbling to the ground, her leg crashing beneath her. The rough pavement tore into her skin, but Emiko wasn't able to focus on that. All that she felt was the small shards that her shin bone had become under the brutality of his grip. She screamed again, but she couldn't hear it; all she heard was deafening silence. Teary eyes searched the ground for her leg, finding it collapsed beneath her. She crawled back until her leg was free, and studied her leg with wide-eyed terror. Already the leg was swelling and bruising. Emiko turned away, feeling she was going to be sick.

"That's what you deserve you lowly-" The city guard who injured her didn't get a chance to finish speaking. Crowley's sword dug through his chest from the back, piercing all the way through. His eyes widened in shock, staring down at the horrible wound. His eyes then rolled into the back of his head, his body giving a shake, and then falling limp. Crowley turned to Emiko, ignoring the crowd that gathered around them. Vampires and livestock alike had gathered to watch the scene before them. Many of the human children were crying, in fear or sadness he did not know.

Crowley paid them all no mind, and knelt down beside Emiko, searching for her wound. His eyes landed on her left leg, her shin distended and bruised. Crowley could already tell from the sight of it that it was broken into several pieces. He looked up at her face. She was red nosed and crying, from both pain and shock. Careful of her leg, Crowley picked her.

"I'm taking her to the infirmary." He didn't wait for a response from Mel's men, and merely hurried to the cities hospital. Emiko clutched at his shoulders, openly crying against him. He ran a little quicker, arriving at the infirmary quickly. Rushing through the door, a doctor spotted them right away. The two made eye contact, and the doctor turned, briskly leading them into the back. The doctor motioned for Crowley to lie her on a gurney and did just that. The doctor didn't ask any questions, merely scanning her up and down until his eyes landed on her leg. His face turned grim.

"It's going to need immediate surgery." He deduced just from the sight of it. He glanced up at Emiko. "When was the last time you gave blood?" He asked.

"Just over an hour ago." She croaked out. The doctor nodded, his face grim.

"We can't perform the surgery with her being low on blood, and we can't wait too long because of her accelerated healing. Unfortunately, we have no blood on hand." He stated lowly, hoping Emiko wouldn't hear him. She did.

"Just do something!" She ground out through grit teeth. The doctor nodded.

"I'm going to administer a local anesthesia that will numb the pain. I'll send one of the nurses to the donation center and have them find her blood type. We'll prep for surgery while waiting." The doctor explained. Crowley turned towards the door.

"I'll grab the blood." He responded. He was gone before the doctor could say anything else. The doctor turned to Emiko, grabbing her hand as the nurses started to wheel her down the hall.

"We'll get you fixed up in no time, Emi." He stated with a kind smile. Emiko grimaced, glancing up at him.

"The fact that you're on nickname status means I spend way too much time here." She stated, and then took a deep breath in, wincing.

"You do have a tendency to get hurt often." He teased, attempting to distract her from the pain. She gave a pained laugh. They stopped in the operation room, prepping for surgery. The doctor grabbed a needle and didn't waste any time, applying the anesthesia to her leg. Emiko jumped at the jab of the needle. Quickly, the pain in her leg started to numb and she began to relax against the table.

Crowley walked into the operation room, bags of blood in hand. One of the nurses took the blood out of his hands and ushered him out of the room, much to his chagrin. Then, they began the surgery.

Getting out of surgery, Emiko felt fatigued and groggy. They hadn't put her to sleep but the effects of the day and the surgery had made her feel physically exhausted. The second she was wheeled out of the operating room and into the a recovery room, she took a much needed nap. There, she dreamt.

 _The atmosphere of the dream was so similar to the one Emiko had shared with her mother, she felt herself perk up at the thought of her. She turned her head side to side, searching the beautiful moonlit garden for her familiar face. Everything about the garden was perfect; the hydrangeas, the roses, the baby's breath. It was too perfect._

 _At this realization, the atmosphere suddenly changed. Nothing physically moved, but Emiko could feel fear in her bones. She needed to leave. She turned down the path, rushing through the treeline, only to come to a rearing halt. She knew this house. And the more she thought on it, she knew that garden too. But they were different, perfected versions of her childhood home. It felt almost twisted to her. As she gazed at the door, there were no chips in the wood. There were no toys spread across the lawn. Yes, this was twisted indeed. The dream had taken something familiar and turned it into something foreign._

 _She needed to leave. She turned towards the picket fence lining the edge of her family's property, only to come face to face with the most perfect creature she had ever seen. She looked similar to Mirai in a way, though with sharper features and golden colored eyes. Her stark white curls fell clear to the ground, trailing across the pathway leading to the fence. She smiled patiently at Emiko, but there was something steely in the way she looked at her._

" _It's wonderful to meet you, Emilia." Her voice was a gentle caress on the wind, and the smoldering rock within a volcano. Emiko didn't know whether to sigh at the sound or curl into herself in fear._

" _M-my name is Emiko." Emiko cursed herself for stuttering, but it was near impossible not to. This woman-this creature, was terrifying. She smiled indulgently at Emiko, taking a step towards her. Emiko took an involuntary step backwards. It did not go unnoticed by the woman, clear from the sharpness of her eyes._

" _That is your human name. We do not acknowledge those spiteful creatures by name." Suddenly, it clicked for Emiko._

" _You're an angel." She whispered. She nodded._

" _So are you." She responded, though something about the way she said it made it clear she didn't fully agree with that statement. Emiko shrugged as a way of response, mostly because she couldn't make her lips form words. The angel studied the surrounding area. "What is this place?" She asked._

" _You don't know?" She asked in surprise. Emiko hadn't created the landscape, that she knew. She would've never changed her childhood memories for anything. The angel looked at her expectantly. "It's my home." She nodded in understanding._

" _As you may have already figured out, we are in your head right now. I had your memories take me to the place you are most fond of." She explained. "It's a bit pitiful, but the glamor makes it bearable." Emiko felt agitation at the way the angel slandered her childhood home._

" _What did you do to it?" Emiko decided to pick her battles, especially if it was with a very scary angel who could probably smite her without lifting a finger. The angel's lips lifted into something similar to a smile._

" _A glamor, as I said earlier. We perfected it. Once you join us in Heaven, this will be your home, if you like." Emiko stared at her in a mixture of shock and confusion. In heaven? Since when had that been decided?_

" _Am...Am I going to die?" She asked nervously._

" _Well, it's possible, though we prefer not before you complete your task." Okay, now Emiko was really confused._

" _I'm sorry, I don't understand what you're talking about." She responded. The angel once again gave that indulgent smile that made Emiko feel uneasy._

" _Isn't it obvious? Despite your...disgusting start in life, you have gained the power and status of an angel. True, you may have a small part of you left as human, but that will fade over time. You're one of us, Emilia. You must complete our mission; destroy the disgusting humans who plague this land." It all made sense to Emiko now. The reason she was being reached out too now. Emiko knew who she was, what her powers were, and she had the power to destroy mankind. Well, that was debateable. Emiko knew better than most that humans were resilient. She had been a part of the resistance, afterall. Emiko didn't think she could kill off mankind. Besides, she didn't want to. She had friends who were humans, and she didn't think they deserved to die._

" _I'm sorry, but I'm not going to kill anyone. And, you're wrong. I'll always be human, no matter what." Something malicious sparked in the angel's eyes. Emiko blinked, and suddenly the angel was directly in front of her, not even a foot away. Her eyes glowed and she reached a hand out, placing it atop Emiko's head._

" _If you won't cooperate, then you leave me no choice." A searing pain travelled from the angel's hand into her head, making Emiko see white._

Emiko sat bolt upright in bed. Her glazed eyes turned left to the right, inspecting the room she sat in. It was clearly a hospital room, with white walls decorated by pictures of flowers. Emiko's left arm was hooked up to an IV, and she promptly tore that out. She pushed away the sheets covering her leg and moved to stand, only to come to a halt. She cocked her head to the side. Her shin was covered in a cast.

She placed her hand atop the cast, and watched with a blank stare as energy sizzled at her fingertips and turned the cast to ash. With that obstacle out of the way, she stood and left the room. Doctors and nurses stopped to stare as she walked down the halls, some even attempting to reach out to stop her. Those who did quickly found themselves on fire.

Crowley waited out in the reception office boredly, eyes skimming through some human magazine. He looked up when the doors to the hospital opened, revealing a familiar blonde to him. The second he saw her, he knew something was off. The way she walked was stiff and proper; Emiko had a tendency to slouch, and she was supposed to be wearing a cast. Her eyes were not lit up with amusement or curiosity; they were cold and blank, staring straight ahead.

He did not call out to her, but merely watched her walk out the exit of the hospital. Her doctor came running out after her seconds later, stopping when he saw Crowley. "Did you see her?" He asked. Crowley stood to approach the doctor, but kept his eyes on the door she had walked out of.

"Something is wrong with her." He murmured. The doctor nodded his agreement.

"She walked right out of her room, and anyone who tried to touch her caught on fire!" The alarm in the doctor's voice told Crowley that he was not exaggerating, not that he thought he was anyway. He'd seen Emiko do some strange things.

"Keep this quiet. I'm going to follow her." Crowley headed out of the hospital, eyes scanning the streets for Emiko. He found her not far off, travelling south through the city. She was travelling towards Sanguinem's exit, he quickly realized. The streets were mostly empty, save for a few city guards. Luckily, most were acquainted with Emiko, and quickly realized something was currently wrong with her. Any who didn't found themselves burning to a crisp as well. Soon, Emiko found the tunnels leading outside. He stopped her before she could take the stairs leading out.

"Emiko." He called calmly. She froze, and then slowly turned to face him. She regarded him coldly, and it was then he recognized one of her eyes was the color of molten gold.

"Vampire," Her voice was not her own. It was much more mature and as cold as the arctic. If Mirai was a demon, then surely whoever was speaking now had to be the devil. "I do not have time for you. Do not fret though; once the task is complete, Emilia will return to her normal self." Crowley could only assume this 'Emilia' was Emiko. Crowley regarded her closely, trying to discern who or what she was. She didn't seem to have the time for him though, and she turned and continued on her way.

Crowley acted quickly, grabbing his sword and racing towards Emiko. She turned to defend, only for her shoulder to be impaled. The force of the hit knocked her backwards, the tip of the sword digging back into the stone wall behind her. She screeched in anger, both eyes flashing gold. "You dare?" She shrieked, arms reaching out to slash at him. In her anger, she didn't see the pill tossed into the air. It fell right into her mouth, and before she could stop it slid down her throat.

Crowley removed his sword from her shoulder, watching her closely. The effect was almost immediate, as she stumbled forward and began to cough and wheeze. Her eyes looked upward towards him, changing between red, blue, and gold. He moved backwards as she continued to stumble forwards, eventually collapsing onto the floor.

Regret immediately followed his decision, but he didn't know what else to do to bring her back to normal. He could only watch as she started to convulse on the floor. Just as he took a step towards her, a bloodcurdling scream tore through her lips.

Right before his very eyes, two pure white wings tore from her back.

 **I'm sorry! On the account of leaving it on the cliffhanger, but mostly on taking so long on this chapter. It was not my intention to leave you hanging for so long, but writing has been so hard lately. Normally writing for Two Souls is really easy for me, and just comes naturally, but lately getting anything down is ridiculously hard. I don't know what's wrong. I want to write and I have ideas, but the second I sit down, it's like 'poof!' all desire and will to write and all ideas are gone! It's almost like I don't know how to put things into words anymore.**

 **I am very sorry for leaving this so long. I hope to not leave it this long again, but I can't make any promises, especially if this terrible bout of writer's block doesn't go away. Also, if this chapter seems painful, it's because it was. I like what happens in it, and it's pretty much what I had in mind, but it was just so painful to get through. So if my writing sucks, that's why.**

 **Thanks so much for sticking by me and reading Two Souls!**

 **Fun fact!: Emiko laughs when she's nervous, something you might have caught onto.**


	23. Chapter 23

**Warning: Dark Themes ahead. Seriously, pretty dark. Self-harm and child abuse.**

Wings. She had Wings. The purest color of white he had ever seen, almost shining in their beauty. They spread far into the air, each one extending nearly twenty feet out. It was all Crowley could do to stare in shock. She was an angel. An angel had been living in his house. He had trained her, fought her, injured her. He had drank her blood. He took an unconscious step forward, reaching out a hand towards the magnificent feathers.

He had dreamed about angels, as a human. Always wondered what they were like. He imagined they would be ethereal, kind, and loving. He imagined they would be graceful and descend from the Heavens in a halo of light. He had wanted them to descend onto the battlefield, swords in hand, ready to deal out God's justice.

But, that hadn't happened. Instead, He had watched as his commander had been slaughtered. He had seen his comrades, his brothers, perish. There had been so much suffering and agony, all in the name of a god who wouldn't save them. At that moment, Crowley had learned that there was no god; there was no one coming to save him or his comrades. There was no glory waiting for him; only darkness.

And then, he had become a vampire, and the world changed for him. He became consumed by revenge. He spent decades searching for the vampire who had changed him. But when he found him, he had forgotten what it is he was seeking. Revenge no longer seemed to make sense; he was a vampire. Strong and fast and immortal, nothing could hurt him.

Fuck Revenge. Fuck Religion. Fuck a higher power, none of it mattered anymore. The world was his; he could go anywhere, do anything.

He hadn't realized, that it wasn't just his physical state that had been altered. Becoming immortal had meant losing what made him human; his emotions, beliefs, his soul even. Not that it had mattered, at the time. Who need those things anyway? He had only ever wound up miserable because of those things. Yet, standing here, staring at the miracle he had just witnessed, he suddenly remembered.

For so long, he had never appreciated beauty. He had recognized it, sure, but he never stopped and stared. Never spent more than a second on it, and even if he did, it was for his own desires. Now, he watched as those wings gently caressed the air, and he remembered what it felt like. To feel the sense of calm that settled over you as you took in beauty, and admired it. He didn't want anything from it; didn't want to steal the wings for himself or pluck the feathers for a keepsake. He just wanted to watch them fly, and thank the universe for creating something so pure.

A tortured cry tore him from his reverie. His eyes fell to the girl the wings were attached to, and he suddenly remembered what had just happened. He hurried to her side, ignoring the wings as he pulled her onto her side onto his lap. He pushed long white strands from her face, to find she was unconscious. Her face was scrunched up in fear and pain, another cry breaking free from her lips.

He pressed a hand against her cheek, gently prodding her to wake. Several minutes later, she began to stir. She opened her eyes, but it was not blue staring back at him; deep red orbs looked up at him in shock, a surprised gasp tearing from her lips. Their eyes locked, and it took two seconds for Mirai to assess the situation; she reached up, pressing a hand against his cheek.

Darkness covered Crowley's vision. He turned his head, trying to catch light, but found himself completely blind. "You have to help us." He recognized the voice was Mirai's. It echoed around him, not coming from one certain direction.

"Where am I?" He asked calmly; he was no stranger to the dark.

"Angels don't like the dark." She answered simply. "Until we've come up with a plan, this is the safest place for us." Crowley continued to glance around, but finally gave up. He had a feeling the lights wouldn't turn on until Mirai willed it.

"A plan?" He questioned. He got the feeling Mirai was nodding her head.

"To save Emiko's hide, obviously. And mine, as a byproduct." Her voice was no longer echoing, and was beginning to take direction. "The angel had taken over Emiko's body, until you used the pill and brought me to the surface. Now, we're all fighting for control. Well, okay, not Emiko. She's hiding like the coward she is. I'm fighting for the both of us, and it's not going so well!" He had never heard Mirai sound so agitated. He could almost imagine her restlessly pacing the floors, red eyes glaring at anyone who dared to approach her.

"What would you have me do?" His voice was pleasant, but there was a taunting undertone to it that pissed Mirai off; she didn't have time for cocky vampires. Unfortunately, she needed his help.

"We need to find Emiko. If we can get her to fight, our combined power might be able to defeat the angel." She answered.

"Right, of course. Perhaps you could answer my first question now?" He wasn't intentionally being an ass; he just didn't like not being the one in control. He wanted her to hurry up and get on with it.

"You really don't know yet?" Mirai sneered. She sounded as if she was right behind him. Crowley turned, and caught a glimpse of silvery-white hair. He turned again, this time his eyes landed on a short adolescent. She looked thirteen at most, but one glance at her red eyes made it clear she was much older than she looked. Her hair cascaded down her shoulders, stopping just short of her knees. She wore a simple black dress that hung on her thin shoulders loosely. Across her bare arms and legs were hundreds of scars, each one telling a different story. She gave him a hard look, and Crowley instantly recognized her; Mirai.

"Is this your true form?" He asked curiously. She nodded, glancing down at herself. She seemed surprised at seeing it, but quickly looked back up at him.

"Yes. I suppose that here in Emiko's mind I would appear as my true self." Mind? Crowley stared at Mirai with a sense of apprehension. Mirai met his gaze, and quickly rolled her eyes. "Yes, her mind, her soul. We are in the deepest parts of what makes Emiko. And we're going to have to go deeper to find her consciousness."

Crowley didn't like admitting when he was confused. He was eight hundred years old and he prided himself on the fact that he was rarely taken by surprise. And yet, here was this demon who looked like a snotty thirteen year old girl, catching him off guard.

"We're in her head?" He asked, just for clarification. Mirai nodded impatiently. "Fine. Let's go then." He started heading to the left. Mirai let out a noise of irritation, and ran to catch up to him.

"What are you doing?" She hissed. He glanced down at her; she was having to speed walk in order to keep up with his pace. He grinned down at her.

"We're going to find Emiko and then I'm going to throw her off a tall building so she wakes up. Sound simple enough?" Mirai glared at him heatedly. Slowly the world around them began to change, and the two of them were now walking down an abandoned street. Crowley recognized the road as a street in Shinjuku. It was completely uninhabited, without even a mouse in sight.

"It's not that easy. If it were, I would've done it already. The angel has Emiko locked in some of her deepest, darkest memories. You're going to have to convince Emiko that it's not real. Until then, the nightmare will continue." Crowley listened as he observed the road carefully, searching for any signs of life.

"These are her darkest memories; which one is this?" He asked. Mirai glanced up at him.

"This is where she fought Guren." As soon as she spoke, the two jumped out, sword and guns clashing as they fought. Dark energy swirled around the both of them. The anger radiating off of Emiko was nearly toxic, even being a hundred feet away. The two of them stopped to watch as Emiko backed Guren into a corner, knocking the sword out of his hand. She pointed the gun at his face, and the look on Guren's face changed.

"Emi, we're family." He murmured. He saw the hesitation change on her face, and Guren struck, striking her so hard she flew. She hit into a concrete pillar, creating a large dent and then falling to the floor. It was the same place he'd found her. They continued walking, but Crowley didn't take his eyes off of Guren, even as the scene started to fade.

The next scene was her bedroom at Crowley's mansion. He recognized the scene as the time she killed one of the servants, and so they moved on. The next scene was Guren's betrayal, and the torture she suffered. Hearing her tortured screams made his chest constrict in a strange way, and he pushed Mirai on, in a hurry to leave.

The next scene didn't seem so bad, at first. In fact, it looked happy. A young Emiko sat next to a harp, strumming her fingers across the instrument. Two unfamiliar people sat on a loveseat, watching. One of the adults was familiar. She had blonde hair and blue eyes, both the same shade as Emiko's. It was her smile that stood out the most though; it was vibrant, completely breathtaking. It was like seeing the angelic wings all over again. It reminded him of Emiko's, but even her smile paled in comparison.

Crowley realized quickly these were her parents, and this was the fateful day they were murdered. He didn't need to see anymore. They continued on, the next scene being her parent's funeral. The young Emiko stood in front of her parent's caskets, staring down with wide, dull eyes.

The next scene was also unrecognizable, but the second he saw it Crowley had an eerie feeling. Mirai shivered, glancing down the plain halls with a sense of apprehension. Crowley caught onto it quickly. They had hit the worst of Emiko's memories. This is where they would find her.

The further they walked, Crowley realized this was a hospital. Patients in hospital gowns strolled down the halls with nurses or doctors by their sides. All of the patients had dull looks in their eyes, as if the lifeforce had been sucked right from them. He peered into one of the rooms they passed. A young girl, no older than eleven, was sitting on a plain white cot. A nurse was holding out a cup of pills. The girl stubbornly turned her head, refusing them. The nurse then proceeded to press the girl back onto the bed by her neck, and forced the pills down her throat.

Once the nurse let the girl free, she leaned over the bed, vomiting the pills up. Crowley looked away before he could see the rest, but he didn't miss the furious look the nurse gave the girl.

They continued on, until Mirai stopped at a heavy white door. She nodded towards Crowley. "This was her room." She murmured. Crowley didn't need any further instruction; he opened the door and walked on through.

He spotted Emiko at once. She sat upon hard concrete floor, knees drawn up to her chest. Her blonde hair was matted and dirty, and looked as if it hadn't been brushed in months. She looked only a year older than the one he had seen at the funeral, but much skinnier and gaunt. Her eyes were lifeless. It made him uncomfortable. He was so used to seeing Emiko with a fire in her eyes. Seeing her like this wasn't just strange, it was...wrong.

"How are you feeling today, Emiko?" Crowley had been so focused on Emiko, he hadn't even noticed the doctor in the room. She was a middle-aged woman, mousy brown hair turning gray. There were hard frown lines on her face, making it clear she wasn't a very friendly person.

Emiko didn't look up from the ground. Instead, her eyes stayed on the various bruises on her legs, poking and prodding at them dully. The doctor quickly noticed. "Did you get those today?" She asked briskly. A slow nod of her head was the only answer Emiko gave. "What did you do?" The doctor prompted.

"I called my nurse a bastard." Despite the situation, Crowley almost smirked. Perhaps the Emiko he knew wasn't completely gone. The doctor's lips thinned.

"Why did you do that?" She asked once more. Finally, Emiko looked up at the doctor. Her lifeless eyes nearly stared the doctor down.

"I was screaming in my sleep. I saw the monsters again. The large ones with different forms. The ones with red eyes. The ones with wings. The ones wearing uniforms. I saw everyone dying. My nurse woke me. He slapped me, told me I was waking up the other patients. Told me I was worthless, that I was crazy. So I called him a bastard. I told him he was wrong about me. I'm not crazy. I'm not worthless. He told me to stop being a delusional little bitch. So I hit him. So he hit me. A lot. And kicked me." Crowley narrowed his eyes.

"You shouldn't fight back, Emiko. You need to accept the truth." The doctor pushed her glasses up her nose. "You are crazy, and you are worthless. You're no good to anyone. Your parents are dead. Your aunt and uncle sent you here, because they couldn't control you. Because you screamed and cried so much, they thought you were possessed." Crowley wanted to drain the old lady dry, throw her body out of a window and burn it to ashes.

Emiko looked at the ground again. Finally, her doctor sighed. "I have a gift for you, Emiko." That caught her attention. Emiko looked back up. The doctor reached into her pocket, pulling something out and holding it out in her hand. The second Crowley saw it, fire began to rage in his veins. The young Emiko stood and padded over to the doctor, picking up the small, sharp object.

"What is it?" She asked the doctor.

"It's a razor blade. Whenever you scream or cry, whenever you feel like hitting someone or talking back, or whenever you feel like it's all too much, you press that against your wrist, and you cut. You'll feel better." Crowley wished this wasn't all inside of Emiko's head. He wished it was real, happening right now so he could kill the doctor, and every doctor and nurse in this hospital.

"Disgusting, isn't it?" Mirai asked, stepping into place beside him. "Even demons aren't that cruel."

"What is this place?" He asked, voice calm despite the storm raging inside of him.

"It is both a mental hospital and a science lab. They want to see how far they can push a child's psyche before they break. All of the people here are sick. Patients, doctors, faculty. Just in different ways." She glanced up at Crowley. "You shouldn't worry too much." She spoke softly now, looking back at Emiko with an unreadable expression every so often. "Guren, Shinoa, and Shinya, they saved her. Not from this place, I mean. The Apocalypse freed her. But from the memories. The horrible things they taught her. They became her support, Guren especially. Emiko went a long time using that blade. She still thinks about it sometimes, but she hasn't done it in a long time." She explained. Crowley didn't take his eyes off of Emiko. He felt pained himself as she hovered the blade over her wrist.

"I see why it hurt so bad, when he betrayed her. He was her savior, and then he hurt her too." He approached Emiko, grabbing the blade before she could press it against her wrist. Surprisingly, it worked. She glanced up at him, blue orbs staring up at him in surprise.

"Crowley?" Her voice was high and childish, but it was still hers, even if the playful lilt was gone. He was surprised she recognized him. He'd expected her memories to block him out, make him seem like a stranger, but perhaps that wasn't how it worked. "How are you here?" She asked. Her eyes narrowed, she glanced around the room nervously. "You shouldn't be here. If she comes back, she'll punish you." The thought seemed ludicrous. That woman, as cruel as she may be, was only human. He could've killed her with the flick of his wrist. But the fear for his safety reflected so real in her eyes. She was truly scared for him.

"I'm a vampire." He reminded her calmly. A look of confusion crossed her young face. She scrunched up her nose, as if trying hard to remember. Finally, it seemed to come to her. She nodded, glancing back up at him.

"Oh yeah. I forgot." She murmured. She didn't seem too shocked by the revelation, though perhaps a bit perplexed. Then, she shook her head. "It doesn't matter though. She'll hurt you. She'll hurt you bad. You have to leave." She looked up at him seriously, with a sense of panic starting to build in her eyes. He looked to Mirai for help. She shrugged.

"For the longest time, that woman had all power over Emiko. It's no surprise she saw her as something akin to some god." She pointed out. Crowley sighed, kneeling down so he could be on Emiko's level. She looked at him nervously, eyes glancing between him and the door.

"She's dead. Remember where you really are, Emiko. You were staying with me and Chess and Horn." He reminded her. Her face scrunched up, once again trying to remember. Slowly, a look of panic took over her features, and she reached for the knife in his hands. He swiftly pulled it away.

"No! No! Give it to me! I need that!" She screamed, reaching again for the knife. Crowley stood, pulling the knife out of her reach. The young Emiko stood as well, reaching up towards the knife, to no avail. The realization she wasn't going to be able to reach it slowly sunk in, and she began to cry. "I need it! I need to cut! It hurts! It hurts! Give it back, Give it back!" She was shrieking now, sobs cutting in between words. She began to dig her nails into her arm. Blood started to well from the wounds.

The sight of her brought about his own memory. A time his fellow crusaders began to kill themselves. He'd find them, in their tents with an empty vial in hand, sometimes a sword through their stomach. The worst was finding them face down in lakes. He remembered contemplating his own death many times too. All the death and pain he'd faced, and all of the people he'd lost had added up over the years and he'd begun to wish for the simplicity of death. He glanced over at Emiko again. She was a mess, tears and snot running down her face. She was trembling, her tiny hands shaking as her fingers tore into the skin of her arms. Her eyes were glassy, and he saw the plea in her eyes. She was begging for someone to save her. But no one ever did. He wondered how long she had, before she began contemplating her own death. Maybe, she already had.

All he knew, was that he didn't want her to hit that point. He didn't want to see that lifeless look in her eyes ever again. It was more haunting than anything he'd seen on the battlefield. He dropped the knife, and kneeled down once more. He grabbed her wrists, holding her in place so she couldn't reach for the knife. "Look at me." He spoke softly, more kindly than he had in centuries. She struggled for several moments, before stopping and meeting his gaze.

"Breathe. What do you smell?" He asked. Confused but relenting, she took in a deep breath. She crinkled up her nose.

"Blood." she answered, glancing down at her arms. He shook his head, garnering her attention once more.

"Close your eyes." She did as she was told. "Now, breathe in again." She took in another deep breath, and her facial expression changed to one of surprise.

"It's different. Smells kind of musty." She answered. He nodded.

"Listen, closely. What do you hear?" He asked.

"Water dripping...and the sound of wings flapping I think. Soft breathing. Where am I?" She murmured to herself. He slowly moved his hands from hers.

"What do you feel?" He asked once more.

"It's...cold. I'm laying on something hard...stone I think. There's a gentle wind on my skin." The panic had completely disappeared from her voice now and had been replaced with confusion.

"Now...what do you see?" She opened her eyes, and at the same time, the world disappeared around him. It was dark for a moment, and then he opened his eyes. He was in the underground room leading out of Sanguinem, in the same room he'd been in before being pulled into Emiko's head. He was lying sprawled across the ground, and he quickly stood. He searched the room for Emiko, finding her sitting up and looking around. She wore a puzzled expression. Crowley noted that the wings were gone.

"What happened?" She asked nervously. Crowley approached her, offering her a hand up. She took it, standing, wobbling for a moment before she regained control of her legs. She glanced around the room again, and then looked back at him for answers.

"What do you remember?" He asked. She shrugged.

"That bastard vampire broke my leg, I was at the hospital. They fixed my leg and I fell asleep. I had a dream…" She murmured, and then broke off. He could tell there was more she wasn't telling him, but he let it go.

"You were in some sort of trance. Walked all the way here before you collapsed." He explained, lying to her easily. He thought that for now, it was better she didn't know what had could tell that even though she didn't remember what had just transpired in her own mind, it somehow still haunted her. She nodded, accepting his response. She glanced towards the stairs leading to the exit.

"I have to go see Guren. That must be why I was walking out here." She responded, and looked back to Crowley. "Will you...come with me? I don't think I'm stable enough to go on my own." She murmured. He smiled.

"Lead the way, Emiko."

...

 **Sorry for darkness of this chapter, but I did warn you all at the beginning! Also, sorry for taking so long. I used to be able to pop out chapters of this story in no time, but lately it's been difficult...I don't know, hopefully it changes soon. The next chapter is completely planned out, so I just have to write it, but that can be easier said than done. Also, this is not the best time for me right now. October/November is when my Depression, OCD, and Anxiety all worsen, and it's almost been one year since I was in the hospital. (Also, don't worry, the events in this chapter do not reflect upon my time in the hospital) So, please be patient with me!**

 **Also, I do have a new story...I know, I'm sorry, but I feel like writing that one, and I think once these next few months are over I'll get my mojo back for writing this story, and I'm confident I can handle the up-keep of both of them. If you are interested, my new story is a Klaus Mikaelson fanfiction! The main character actually shares some backstory similarities to Emiko, though the two characters are completely different. If you are interested, I would love for you guys to check it out! It has two chapters already, and I'm working on the third.**

 **Thanks for reading! Please be awesome and review, favorite, and follow! Seriously, I want reviews...Please? I'm not going to bribe you with chapters cause I hate when other authors do that but...just be nice to me? We're friends right? (Offers Cookies and Crowley on silver platter) Friends share! (Even our soulmates...heeheehee)**


	24. Chapter 24

**Alright, this is the end of the First Arc! Hope you enjoy! See notes at bottom!**

 **...**

 _She was never crazy. She just didn't let her heart settle in a cage. She was born wild, and sometimes we need people like her. For it's the horrors in her heart which cause the flames in ours, and she was always willing to burn for everything she had ever loved. -r.m. drake_

Crowley stood beside her, watching her with hidden concern as she coughed blood onto the debris of an abandoned street. He could see it now; she was much skinnier than before. Frail even, though he'd never tell her that. She had dark shadows under her eyes, and she was much paler than before. Earlier, he hadn't been paying attention. He was far too focused on the state of her leg, or the events in which they faced in her mind. Now, he noticed just how far her body had deteriorated. She didn't have long at all; maybe a few hours.

She turned to him, wiping the blood and spit from her lip onto her sleeve. She looked back at him with half-lidded eyes, clearly exhausted. She refused to let him carry her though; she was stubborn like that. "It's this way." She motioned her head towards a different street, and it became clear to where she was leading him; the lab in Shinjuku she had previously been experimented on in. She nearly fell as she took a step, and Crowley reached out, gripping her upper arm.

He sighed, wrapping his arms around her and lifting her into his arms. She protested, but they were feeble compared to some of the arguments he'd seen her give. She quit arguing the second he gave her a warning glance, letting her know it wasn't up for discussion. Emiko sighed in response, and laid her head against his chest, closing her eyes. She hadn't realized till they'd started this journey just how weak she was.

Emiko was good at ignoring her problems. A prodigy, if she did say so herself. Unfortunately, that also meant that things usually got worse, often without her even noticing. She had overdone it for quite some time now. Looking back, she probably should've stopped training the second she found out she was dying. Of course, she didn't. That wasn't her style. And then, she'd been made to live as a livestock. Sleeping on the streets, going hungry, giving blood. The final straw must've been picking a fight with that city guard and getting her leg broken. True, they fixed her leg, and true, she healed quickly, but her body could only handle so much stress. She lived with vampires, but she was still human. Well, mostly anyway.

Without telling him, Crowley already seemed to know where they were going. They arrived at the nearly destroyed lab, Crowley carrying her inside and setting her down on a chair. He glanced around the ruined building. It was dark and shabby, with the debris of the ceiling falling in. He had to wonder how they were going to save her life in this place. "How does he know to meet us here?" Crowley asked, turning to look at Emiko. Blood was leaking out of her nose, but she didn't even seem to notice. She pointed a shaking hand towards a closed door.

"I have to contact him. In there is a computer, which should be left intact. I can send him a message, tell him to meet us here." She explained. He nodded, heading towards the room. He opened the door, walking inside to find the room was indeed intact. It must've been sealed off at the time of her attack. He moved towards the computer in the center of the room, turning it on. Surprisingly, it started up.

"The password is 5573478" She called from the other room. How she remembered that, he didn't know, but it was useful. He entered the password and found the email icon, pulling it up. There was shuffling, and Emiko entered the room, walking slowly towards him. She stood beside him, staring at the screen. She moved his hands aside, beginning to type on the keyboard.

Guren,

I'm waiting at the old lab in Shinjuku with a friend. I don't think I have long. Please hurry.

She sent the message without delay, hands trembling uncontrollably. Her legs started to shake, and he caught her once more. He watched her face closely, the worry clear on his face now. Blood was dribbling from both nostrils now, and her eyes were closed. She had passed out. From the state of her, she truly did not have long.

He left the room, heading into another in search of supplies. He found a maintenance closet with towels, and he grabbed one, using it to wipe the blood from her nose. When he was done, he set the towel done, taking a seat as well. He placed a hand against the side of her face, feeling the chill of her skin against his. She was normally so warm; it frightened him. "Come on, Emiko." He murmured, pulling her closer, till her face was buried into his neck. "Just a little while longer."

It took a solid hour for Guren to arrive, and by that time Crowley didn't even have any snarky remarks. He stood, carrying Emiko to the front of the lab to meet him. Guren's eyes narrowed at the sight of Crowley, but his look quickly changed at the sight of Emiko unconscious in his arms. He rushed forward, looking over Emiko closely. He grabbed hold of her wrist, searching for her pulse.

"Her pulse is weak. Lie her down, I have to get my supplies." Crowley didn't argue, turning and finding the closest room with an operating table. He lied her down gently against the metal, cushioning her head with a spare towel. Guren returned, leading another metal operating table into the room, this one carrying another unconscious girl. Crowley narrowed his eyes. The girl was thin and pale, her cheeks sallow. Guren didn't even glance at Crowley though, merely going through his bag of supplies. "Bind her wrists." He ordered. Crowley frowned, openly displeased. When Crowley didn't do as he said, Guren looked up at him. "This process could be painful. For her own safety, bind her down." Reluctantly, Crowley bound Emiko's wrists in the cuffs on the table.

Guren moved quickly then, scooting the tables side by side. He moved the unknown girl's hand, until it was connected with Emiko's skin. He then pulled out a long syringe, filled with a strange blue fluid. Crowley didn't stop him as he stuck the needle in Emiko's arm, and then another in the other girls.

At first, nothing happened. Abruptly, Emiko's eyes snapped open wide, her body starting to convulse. She screamed in pure, unadulterated agony, her wrists fighting against the restraints. Crowley grabbed Guren by the neck, lifting him off the ground. He stared at Guren with dark, unrestrained rage flashing in his eyes. "What did you do to her?" He asked, voice low. Guren choked, but didn't reach for his sword.

"The liquid I injected into her bloodstream is causing a chemical reaction in her body. Her body is fighting off the demon, trying to release it. It's bound to be painful, but it's the only way." Guren grunted, glaring back at Crowley with an equal amount of hate. Crowley allowed him to drop, turning to watch over Emiko. Guren coughed, clutching at his throat. He was surprised to find the vampire actually cared for Emiko, but he didn't have time to ponder on it. The other girl's body was unresponsive, which meant that the demon's soul hadn't yet left Emiko. He was going to have to cause Emiko's body further stress, which could be dangerous.

Guren stood quickly, reaching for another syringe in his bag. He glanced at Crowley as he reached out to inject it into Emiko's bloodstream. "With the effects of the chemicals, and the duress on her body, plus the viable host, the demon should be expelled from Emiko's body and into the other one. It's not, which means Emiko's body isn't under enough duress." He explained. He wasn't particularly interested in getting choked again. Crowley's eyes narrowed in displeasure, but he didn't move to stop him.

Guren injected the liquid into her bloodstream. The thrashing Emiko suddenly grew more feral, screaming even louder as the liquid began to affect her. Simultaneously, the other girl's fingers began to twitch, life returning to her body slowly. Emiko's eyes began to glow red, and then slowly started to fade back to blue. The other girls arm moved, her eyes starting to flutter. She took in a deep breath of air, her eyes snapping open.

Crowley watched as the strange girl began to change. She had brown eyes, but they were changing, turning red. Her plain brown hair began to lighten, until it became as white as snow. She looked lost for a moment, confused, until slowly self-awareness began to leak in. The girl sat up, eyes searching the room before landing on Emiko.

Emiko had stopped screaming and convulsing, her body slumped against the table, the stress on her body causing her to pass out. Crowley nearly sighed in relief once she stopped screaming; hearing her in that much pain was grating, and it made him to want to break something. Guren felt similarly, not that he would admit it. He approached Emiko, releasing her from her binds and checking her pulse. He let out a sigh of relief. Her pulse was already considerably stronger, and was beginning to steady. Then, he turned his attention to the other girl.

Mirai was watching Guren with a predatory look. When he looked to her, she avoided his gaze, returning to Emiko. She stood, walking towards her and regarding her closely. "Will she be alright?" She asked, voice cold. Guren nodded, looking at her warily. He had meant to kill the body before the demon had been able to move about, but it was too late for that now.

"It will take some time for her to heal the damage sharing a body with you inflicted, but she should have no lasting injuries." He explained. Mirai nodded, satisfied. She turned her attention to Guren, red eyes cold and apathetic.

"Good. Now, we have unfinished business." She moved so quick she was a blur, reaching out and swiping at Guren. He moved to dodge, though merely avoided the brunt of her attack, her nails still swiping against his cheek. He staggered back, immediately moving into a defensive position and reaching for his sword. Mirai struck again, kicking him in the chest and sending him flying on the other side of the room. He crashed through the wall, groaning in pain. Mirai moved to go after him, when a hand shot out in front of her. Crowley looked down at her, scowling. He motioned his head towards Emiko.

"Take it outside." He ordered boredly. She scowled, but nodded her agreement. She moved towards Guren, grabbing him by his army jacket and dragging him out the door as he fought against her. Crowley paid no further attention to them after that, his only interest being Emiko. He moved closer towards her, reaching out and placing his hand against her cheek. Her skin was warming. He smiled smally at that, the relief evident on his face. He brushed his thumb over her skin softly, enjoying the smoothness. She was safe. She was going to live. That was all that mattered to him at the moment.

He stayed next to her, waiting patiently for her to wake up. It didn't take long for her to stir. She groaned, moving her limbs in an experimental fashion. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open. They landed on him. She smiled tiredly at him. "Am I alive?" She murmured sleepily. He smirked and nodded.

"You're alive." He responded simply. She nodded, blinking slowly. She was so disoriented; he found it cute. It was rare for her to be so out of it. "How do you feel?" He asked. She shrugged slightly, smacking her lips.

"My body feels a little sore. My head is a lot less crowded though." She responded jokingly, and she began to move, attempting to sit up. He helped her, placing a hand on her back to keep her steady. "What happened to Mirai?" She asked, glancing around the room. More and more clarity was coming back into her eyes as the pull of sleep wore off.

"Mirai took control of another body. She's outside attacking that livestock now." He said carelessly. Emiko's eyes widened, and she snapped over to look at him.

"She what?" She shouted, moving to get off of the table. Crowley stopped her, keeping her in place.

"Careful," He warned her, though she disregarded his words immediately. She pushed his hands away, standing up off of the table. She checked her person for her weapons, cursing when she found none.

"Mirai will kill him!" She responded, voice panicked. Crowley raised an eyebrow.

"I figured that." He answered lazily, though he watched Emiko carefully. She really shouldn't be moving around. She sent him a sideways glance, though her main attention was on finding some form of weapon. "Why do you care? He tried to kill you." He reminded her, though his voice was mostly curious.

"That doesn't mean I want him to die! Let me borrow your sword." She said, turning to face him and holding out her hand expectantly. He raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms.

"You're still weak, Emi." He reminded her calmly. She glared at him.

"I have to stop her." She stated firmly. He sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Fine. I'll stop them. Wait here." He ordered her. He left the lab, heading outside. Mirai and Guren were locked in battle, with Mirai mostly overpowering him. Guren looked worse for wear, having several deep wounds slowing him down. It was clear Mirai was toying with him in order to extend his pain. Crowley moved quickly, reaching for his sword and getting in the middle of the two, knocking them both back several feet. Guren fell, landing against the debris covered street in a heap. Mirai on the other hand, gained her balance mid-air, back flipping and landing delicately on her feet. Mirai gave him a curious look, glancing between Crowley and Guren.

"Did you want to deliver the killing blow?" She asked. Crowley was tempted to say yes; he didn't like Guren anymore than Mirai did, but he knew he'd never hear the end of it if he did.

"You're not killing Guren, Mirai." Emiko called, appearing out from the doors of the lab. Everyone's attention turned to Emiko as she approached them. Even more color had returned to her face, and she was steady as she walked. That didn't mean Crowley was going to allow her to get involved.

"Emiko." Crowley said calmly, though there was a clear warning in his voice; don't get involved. She, obviously, ignored him. She moved towards Mirai.

"This is a little strange." She murmured, stopping in front of Mirai. She looked the girl up and down. The way she stood, the way she looked, it was all exactly how Emiko pictured Mirai acting. In return, Mirai also studied Emiko. She could see the light returning to her. When they had shared a body, Mirai had constantly had an effect on Emiko, even if she didn't show it. Mirai could tell by the lack of light around her and the hidden anger in her eyes. Now, that anger was gone, replaced by a steady determination to stop Mirai from killing Guren.

"It is." Mirai agreed. "You need to move, Emiko." She ordered, looking behind Emiko to where Guren was slowly picking himself up. Emiko blocked her view. Mirai narrowed her eyes in displeasure. "You're protecting him now? He tortured you, Emiko." She reminded her coldly. Emiko winced at the memory.

"Yes, but he also fixed us. He was my friend, Mirai. I'm not going to let you hurt him." Emiko warned, taking a defensive stance. Mirai raised an amused eyebrow.

"You're going to fight me? Without a weapon? Without my power?" Mirai asked, though she seemed pleased by the idea. She smirked icily at Emiko, taking a menacing step forward. "I was what made you strong. I gave you power. Without me, you don't stand a chance." Emiko gave Mirai a defiant look.

"Let's find out." Mirai smirked for a split second, before speeding across the short distance to Emiko. Her fist connected with Emiko's cheek, sending Emiko to the ground. Emiko clutched at her cheek as it throbbed in pain, glaring up at Mirai. Mirai moved to deliver a sharp kick to Emiko's stomach, but Emiko rolled out of the way, swiping out her leg at Mirai's legs. Surprise shown on the demon's face at the attack, and she toppled over.

Emiko lunged at Mirai, landing on top of her and throwing a vicious punch to the demon's face. Mirai growled in annoyance, pushing Emiko off and delivering a roundhouse kick to Emiko's stomach. On and on it went, the two women throwing punches and kicks at the other. As the fight continued, it became clear Mirai had the upper hand, with a speed and strength unrivaled. This was clearly exhibited when Emiko threw a punch at Mirai, and Mirai grabbed her arm, throwing her across the street and into a building.

Guren, now up and recovered, moved to aid Emiko. Crowley stuck his leg out, effectively tripping Guren. He smiled smugly down at a glaring Guren, leaning down so he could be heard better. "This isn't your fight, livestock." Crowley's voice was nothing but pleasant as he spoke. Guren still got the impression the progenitor would very much like to kill him.

Guren stood, brushing off his jacket and staying away from the fight for now. "Weren't you just going to stop Emiko from fighting?" He pointed out gruffly, though cautiously. The only reason Guren hadn't attacked the leech yet was because he seemed to truly care about Emiko. Crowley gave Guren a sideways glance, but kept most of his attention on the fight between Emiko and Mirai. Emiko had righted herself after being thrown into the building, though looked a little worse for wear. She sent a spinning hook kick combo to her white-haired combatant, effectively knocking her to the ground. Crowley watched with a smug smirk; he taught her that.

"Mirai won't harm Emiko." Crowley answered confidently. Guren snorted, staring at the progenitor as if he had two heads.

"She's a demon." He retorted flatly. Crowley hummed thoughtfully in response.

"Watch the way Mirai attacks." He motioned towards the two of them. "She sent a punch at Emiko's chin, when Emiko's stomach was left unguarded." He explained. Guren saw what he was talking about; Mirai was attacking, but she wasn't going for deadly shots. Mirai could've used her extended nails to gut Emiko easily. He hated to admit it, but the vampire was right. Mirai had no intention of killing Emiko. She did seem to have the intention of beating her to a bloody pulp though.

She swung Emiko around like a rag doll, throwing her at the road. Emiko gasped in pain, the air being knocked from her lungs. She clutched at her stomach, fighting to get air back into her lungs. Mirai loomed over her, smirking devilishly. "You may be an angel, but you're no saint. You are filled with your own kind of darkness. Don't pretend you don't hate him as much as I do." Mirai taunted, though there was truth to her words. Both girls knew it.

"I didn't say I didn't hate him." Emiko scoffed, as she got her breath back. She clutched at her stomach in pain, forcing herself to sit up and face her demon. "I just said I didn't want you to kill him." Mirai scowled in response, rolling her eyes.

"He tortured us. Tried to kill us. Even as an angel, I didn't leave such crimes unpunished. He will suffer and then he will die." She stated firmly. Mirai moved, turning away to move back towards Guren. Emiko did the only thing she could think of, grabbing hold of Mirai's ankle and holding on tight. Mirai moved two steps before sighing in annoyance, glaring down at Emiko. "Really?" She asked coldly. Emiko remained stubborn.

"I'm not letting go." Emiko declared. Mirai glared down at her hard-headed angel, and began to attempt to shake her off. When that didn't work, she tried kicking her. Emiko whined in response, but she had herself wrapped around her leg in such a manner it was difficult to land a strong hit.

"Let go!" Mirai ordered through grit teeth, her irritation beginning to show. Emiko shook her head.

"No!" Emiko said childishly. She stuck her tongue out at Mirai. "He may have done bad things, but I still care about him. You're my friend, and it'll hurt me if you kill him. Friends don't hurt each other." Emiko's voice may have been childish, but her words were serious. Mirai narrowed her eyes on her.

"We're not friends." She hissed down at the blonde. "You're a convenient ally, nothing more." Emiko stared up at her, pouting. She hugged onto her leg tighter.

"We are friends. You adore me." She was so confident in what she was saying, it made Mirai want to hit her. So she did. She punched the top of Emiko's head repeatedly, attempting to knock some sense into her. They both knew it was a lost cause.

"Why are you so sure? I'm a demon." Mirai kept her red eyes locked with Emiko's, trying to intimidate her. Emiko dropped her pout abruptly, meeting Mirai's gaze with a rare serious look.

"Because people don't change. They just forget who they really are." She responded softly. Mirai continued glaring for a few moments longer, before the fight left her. She sighed, gaze softening as she looked down at Emiko.

"You are a sappy idiot." She grumbled. Emiko's lips turned up into a cheeky grin. She let go of Mirai, standing up quickly. She brushed herself off, still clutching at her stomach. There was definitely going to be a bruise there in the morning. She ignored the pain, turning to face the others. She waved, running over to meet them.

"Good news! Mirai has seen sense, and is not going to kill Guren." She stopped in front of them, jumping up and down excitedly. Mirai trudged behind at a much slower pace, looking grumpy. She glared hatefully at Guren, but made no move to attack him. Somehow, Emiko had stopped Mirai from killing him.

…

Crowley had been forced to carry Emiko home, after she fainted from over-exertion. Mirai made the decision to follow the two of them. Guren had argued, demanding Emiko be returned to him and her 'family'. Crowley had promised the arrogant livestock that if he attempted to take her, he would drain him dry and leave his body to rot. When that didn't stop him, Crowley knocked him unconscious and left him in the street. Fair was fair.

Back in Nagoya, he laid Emiko down in her room, leaving Mirai to watch over her begrudgingly. He found Chess and Horn, sending one of them to tell the Queen where Emiko was. The, he sat down at his desk and tried to work. Try, being the keyword. The events of today had not escaped him. The image of pure white wings erupting from Emiko's back had been continuously running through his mind all day. He had thought her an angel, and Mirai had only confirmed it. She had called Emiko an angel while fighting. How, though?

Emiko didn't come across as an angel. She was hard-headed, reckless, violent, and temperamental. Not to mention ruthless when upset. He pictured angels as being graceful and sophisticated, both things Emiko was not. She couldn't be sophisticated if her life depended on it. The thought brought a smile to his lips.

More important than the fact that Emiko was an angel, there was the fact that she had almost died. Even the thought made him wince. He never thought the day would come when he would fear for a human's life. No, not just fear; panic. The thought of losing her had made him feel helpless for the first time in eight hundred years. What would he have done, if she had died? Cried? He frowned. He did _not_ cry. He might have destroyed the entire human resistance in anger though. Perhaps destroyed a few cities, the few that had survived the apocalypse anyway. The truth was, he didn't really know what he would have done.

Losing her would be like snuffing out a light. _His_ light. The only light in this world he had seen since he was human. He did not want to be plunged back into darkness. Looking back on it, it had been a dreary existence, lifeless and unfulfilling. He refused to go back. He would never let Emiko get to such a state again. And if he did end up losing her, he would tear heaven and hell apart to get her back.

…

Emiko woke with a groan, immediately moving to clutch at her stomach. She felt like she'd been hit by a bus. As her memories came back to her, she realized it was practically the same thing. She glanced at Mirai disdainfully. "My stomach hurts, you bitch." She moaned out, forcing herself up into a sitting position. Mirai looked like she was about to smirk, but quickly forced it back down.

She moved from her position on the edge of her bed to sit beside her, crawling underneath the covers with her. Emiko frowned; those were her blankets. She clutched at the covers, wrenching them away from Mirai. Mirai frowned in response, pulling the blankets back.

"Don't be stingy." She scolded. "We once shared a body, you can share your blankets." Emiko rolled her eyes in response. The silence grew between them, until it became only stifling. Emiko picked at a stray thread on her shirt, realizing she was still wearing the hospital gown. How unsightly. Emiko moved to change, but Mirai grabbed her hand to stop her. "How did you know that would stop me?" She asked, voice calculating. Emiko was quiet for a moment, and then shrugged.

"I had a dream about my mom. She told me the same thing. And I realized when we were fighting, that you weren't going to hurt me, not truly. You may be a demon now, but your motives have never changed, have they?" Emiko asked softly, glancing over at the red-eyed girl. Mirai returned her look with a impassive stare.

"I was always strange for an angel. I suppose the same could be said for me as a demon. The truth is, you spend thousands of years protecting people and not even becoming a demon can change that pattern. I loved you, I loved your mother, and all of your family before that. I would've done anything for you. I guess I still would, albeit grudgingly." She admitted. Emiko smiled slightly.

"It's because we're friends." Emiko responded, grabbing Mirai's hand. "We did spend nearly a year sharing a body. We're bonded now, whether we like it or not. So, let's protect each other." She offered. Mirai scoffed, but she regarded Emiko with a softness she didn't show most people. They were bonded. Mirai wouldn't hurt Emiko, even when she wanted to.

"Fine. But don't expect me to be nice." Emiko only laughed in response.

 **...**

 **Hiya! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! It was super fun to write, which is why I got it out so early! Anyway, as mentioned above, it is the final chapter of Arc one. The Quote at the beginning is the quote for Emiko for the first Arc. At the end of each Arc, I'll put the quote for the Arc.**

 **Now, some tough Author Business (Serious Face! (-_-)) As I mentioned at the very beginning of this story, this story will have adult content. That includes Lemons and smut. It probably won't be super explicit (because I'm still new to the whole thing) but they will be there. Here's the thing; I know the rules. I'm just ignoring them. You know, the whole spiel of 'well everyone does it' and my mom asks me 'would you jump off a bridge if everyone did it?' Well, guess what! I would! I'd attach that bungee cord and go for it! (Sticks out tongue) So, with all of my childish behavior aside, that means I will be posting the lemons here. This is for my faithful and amazing readers who I adore and would like to gift cookies and fan service. As for me, I enjoy posting my stuff here too. A lot. I like . I like its set-up. But all of my stuff is backed up. Reporting my story is not hurting me; it's hurting my dear readers. So, I ask you, whoever ye may be, (still serious, focus Whitney!) that you do not report the story. In return, I will put lemon warnings at the top as I do with all of my other warnings up at the top of the Chapter.**

 **Let's all be mature here guys! (I'm mature, I swear!) If you don't like lemons, don't read them. It's as simple as that. OKay? Okay!**

 **Anyway, I forgot to post fun facts last chapter! So here's two!**

 **As you may have noticed, Mirai contradicts herself very often. She tells Crowley not to chase after Emiko, but then has Emiko kiss him. This is purposeful. (AKA, Mirai is intentionally being confusing and contradictory for the lolz)**

 **Emiko has a tendency to say she knows what she's getting herself into. She doesn't. Or, she does, but she doesn't actually expect to get in trouble. This is shown throughout the first arc, mostly when she pulls pranks.**

 **Thanks for reading! Please Review! Reviews make me love you! Don't you want to be loved? Also, favorite and follow! Much love! (MWA! (That was me kissing you)) OKAY, BYEEEE!**


	25. Chapter 25

**WARNING: This Chapter contains a lemon and blood kink. Read at your own discretion! (And don't be a dick and report me. I'll sick Krul on you.)**

Ferid sat in his office chair, one leg crossed over the other. Before him on his desk sat a laptop, with the stone-faced Lest Karr on the screen. The two were deep in conversation, discussing the events that had recently transpired. Ferid had come across quite the scene in the tunnels leaving Sanguinem. Angel wings erupting from a human girls back is a bit astonishing.

Though Ferid had no intention of telling Lest Karr about the angel amongst them, the two were at odds over the said creature. Karr wanted her killed. Understandably, the girl could be a nuisance. She was unpredictable and brash, with a knack for infuriating powerful people. What was even worse, she had a habit of wrapping other powerful people around her finger. First, Krul had grown fond of the girl. Then, the female progenitors Chess and Horn, and finally, his own ally, Crowley.

Crowley's affections for her were a problem. In order for Ferid's plans to work, he needed Crowley's help. Unfortunately, his sired was quite enamored. At least now, Ferid understood why. It was true, the girl was interesting. Odd, even. She was also pretty and talented. For a human, she might be considered a rare find. For vampires as old as them, well, they'd met plenty of pretty and interesting girls. They were fun to play with for a while, but not really important in the grand scheme of things.

An angel changed things. Angels were dangerous. Angels could easily overpower Progenitors such as himself, and Krul had one insanely loyal to her. It brought a frown to Ferid's normally serene face. The worst part wasn't that she was loyal to Krul. The worst part was Crowley's loyalty to _her._ It made things complicated. Ferid couldn't get rid of Emiko, because of how it would affect Crowley. Furthermore, they couldn't convince Emiko to side with them, because of her loyalty to Krul.

It was quite the predicament.

It also made things more fun.

"Killing her would be unwise." Ferid mused, looking up to Lest Karr. The third progenitor was frowning, though looked more bored than unhappy. "No matter how we orchestrated her death, Crowley would suspect me. He would become most unagreeable." Ferid explained. Lest raised an eyebrow, a smug smile crossing his face.

"You have a plan?" It was more of a statement than a question. Ferid smirked.

"Leave everything to me."

…

Emiko rushed Mirai, blocking her attack and whipping the bo across her face. Mirai's head snapped to the side with the attack, but she did not stumble like Emiko had hoped. Emiko moved to follow up with a kick, which Mirai blocked. Mirai responded with a few kicks of her own, knocking the bo staff out of her hands.

On the fight went, the two focused on defeating the other. Crowley watched the fight closely, arms crossed as he studied them. It had only been five days since Emiko had been separated from Mirai, but she had healed remarkably quick. They had returned to training yesterday, and discovered that Mirai made a great sparring partner. It made it easier for Crowley to correct all of Emiko's mistakes.

Emiko did manage to pick her bo back up, but it didn't last long, with Mirai throwing a fierce kick to Emiko's chin. The blonde hit the ground, the bo flying across the room. Mirai smirked smugly as Emiko groaned, clutching at her chin painfully. Crowley approached Emiko, taking her hand and helping her stand. The two met each other's gaze. Crowley gripping her chin lightly, turning her head to the side to inspect the wound. She would have a nasty bruise, but nothing else.

"What did you do wrong?" He asked her calmly, taking a step back. She pouted, sticking out her bottom lip. Crowley tried to ignore the desire to bite that lip.

"Too much time for her to recover, hesitance in my movements." She answered regardless of her pouting. Crowley nodded his approval, motioning to Mirai.

"Those are the kind of mistakes that get you killed." He warned her. Emiko rolled her eyes playfully, and moved to pick up her fallen bo. She returned to the mat, taking the proper stance. Mirai smiled wickedly, and the two began to fight again. They continued on like that for another half hour, Crowley watching them closely. Soon, Chess entered the room, a sort of panicked look on her face. She approached Crowley, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him down to speak into his ear.

Emiko and Mirai stopped their fight abruptly, at the sight of Crowley's frown. Emiko glanced between him and Chess, her brow furrowing. What was wrong with them? Emiko's eyes widened. They hadn't figured out about her latest prank, had they? They weren't supposed to know about that yet!

Emiko was ready to bolt, when they turned to face her. "Emi…" Chess trailed off nervously. She glanced up at Crowley, and then flicked her eyes back down to Emiko. "Do you remember that Noble woman you tried to punch?" She asked, and then licked her lips. Emiko looked between the two of them in confusion.

"At the party when I was drunk? Yeah, why?" She asked curiously. The point was completely lost on Emiko, though Mirai had started to smirk in realization. Her dark red eyes watched Emi closely. She couldn't wait to see the look on her face. Mirai could tell her days were about to get way more interesting.

"She's staying here with us for a few days." The look on Emiko's face made Mirai chuckle quietly. The blonde's jaw had dropped, her mouth hanging open and catching flies. Her eyes were wide with shock, flicking between Chess and Crowley, silently begging them to tell her it wasn't true.

Mirai moved towards Emi, placing her hand underneath her chin and snapping her jaw up so her mouth was closed. Slowly, Emiko turned her head to stare at her demonic companion. "They're pranking me, right?" She whispered to her, as if they weren't vampires and couldn't hear her. Mirai rolled her eyes, but she was enjoying this far too much to be annoyed. Emiko turned back to look at the others. "This is a prank, right?" She asked, the fear finally leaking into her voice. When Crowley didn't smile and tell her it was a joke, her lip quivered. "Am I being punished?"

Despite what everyone said, Emiko knew she was being punished. Whether it was by Krul or Crowley or God, she didn't know. The Ninth Progenitor Svetlana Alter from Germany, would be here any minute. Emiko stood waiting with Crowley, Chess, Horn, and the other Progenitors in the city of Nagoya for her arrival. Even Ferid was here, though he surprisingly hadn't made it his goal to bug her today. Perhaps he knew she was already miserable enough?

No, he wasn't that nice. No one was ever miserable enough for him, especially if he wasn't the one to cause it.

Emiko tugged down the hem of her dress nervously. Her hands were sweating, and she couldn't keep still. It wasn't that Emiko was afraid; she was humiliated. This was the vampire Emiko had tried to punch at the progenitors party. _Tried_ , as in she dodged, and Emiko ended up falling on her face. It was one of her lowest moments.

Crowley glanced down at Emiko, both amused and begrudgingly concerned. Svetlana could be vicious, and not in the violent sense. The woman had once made Chess cry. Emiko was tough, but there were occasions when he'd seen people pierce through her ego and genuinely cause her distress. If anyone could cut Emiko down and make her cry, it would be Svetlana. And then, he'd be forced to kill a ninth progenitor. It was not the most ideal of situations.

Svetlana's car soon arrived, and the tall Progenitor woman stepped out. She wore her jet black curls up atop her head in a stylish up-do. She had mostly light makeup, except for a shocking scarlet lip. She wore a form-fitting pink dress and black pumps. She regarded those who came to greet her with narrowed eyes and pursed lips.

The second her eyes landed on Emiko, she scowled. Emiko gulped, and took an involuntary step back. She was scary. She could probably stab Emiko with those heels. Svetlana disregarded all of the progenitors who greeted her, marching straight towards Emiko. Emiko looked up at Crowley with wide, doe-like eyes, silently begging him to save her. Crowley gave her a half shrug, his look reminding Emiko that this was, technically, her fault. Even if she was drunk.

Svetlana stopped directly in front of Emiko. She stood towering over the short blonde by at least six inches. Svetlana narrowed her eyes to slits, leaning down to hover over Emiko. It was silent for several long seconds before she spoke. "Short." She said coolly, looking Emiko up and down. An arrow was struck right through Emiko's self-esteem. Svetlana tisked. "Terrible posture." Another arrow. Svetlana leaned in closer towards Emiko's face. "Is that a pimple?" Arrow through the heart. Emiko slapped her hand up to her face, covering the blemish she had worked so hard to hide. A small smirk curled up Svetlana's lips. "Average, at best." The progenitor woman scoffed and turned her nose up at Emiko.

Chess and Horn edged a little closer to Emiko, fearful of Emiko's destructive temper. However, Emiko didn't move to attack the progenitor. Instead, she stood there, covering her face, looking like someone had just run over her pet dog. Svetlana, on the other hand, turned to Crowley. She changed her spiteful smirk into a seductive smile, draping her arms over his shoulders.

"Lord Crowley, it is wonderful to see you again." Her voice was smooth and flirtatious. She eyed Crowley like a starved lion, and if Emiko had been paying attention, she would've lunged at the noble woman with a battle cry and a thirst for blood. Crowley, ever pleasant, gave Svetlana a playful grin. Despite his concern, Crowley couldn't pretend there wasn't a pro to Svetlana being here; she could make Emiko jealous.

"Charming as always, Lana." At his words, Emiko's head snapped up. She took in the sight of Svetlana pressed against Crowley, and the closeness of their faces. Emiko's eyes narrowed to slits, her lips pressed into a thin line. Chess grabbed hold of Emiko's arm, noticing the dangerous expression on Emiko's face.

"Let's go pop that pimple, Emi." Chess' words reminded Emiko of her humiliation, giving Horn and Chess the perfect chance to whisk her away. They practically carried Emiko into the Capitol building, not stopping until they'd reached Horn's room. The second they let go of Emiko's arms, she dropped to the ground, clutching at her face in complete and utter horror.

"I worked so hard to cover it up." She muttered to herself miserably. Chess and Horn glanced at each other, and then at Emiko.

"She's a vampire. She probably saw it from a mile away." Chess said bluntly, earning a glare from Horn. Emiko made a squealing sound, her cheeks heating up. She lunged towards Chess' bed, hiding her face under her pillow. She was mortified. If Svetlana could see it, that meant Crowley could too. The horrific realization that he'd probably seen every pimple she's ever had while she's lived with them settled in, and it felt like someone had dropped a bowling ball into the pit of her stomach.

She could never show her face again. She would have to wear a mask the rest of her life, to hide her shame. She could never wear flat shoes again, either. Even when sleeping, she would have to wear heels or forever be known as the short human girl. Did Crowley think she was too short? He was fairly tall, and Emiko did have to stand on her tippy toes to reach his face. Even then, he was still leaning down. Oh god, she _was_ too short! And her posture! She was going to have to fix that! She couldn't walk around perfect vampires with slumped shoulders! How had she never noticed before?

Emiko groaned miserably. With only a few sentences, Svetlana had managed to break through Emi's self-confidence, and make her a puddle of self-consciousness and teenage frailty. She was doomed. She definitely could not survive an entire week with that woman. Horn and Chess shared another look.

"Don't listen to Svetlana." Horn said comfortingly, taking a seat beside Emiko on the bed. She placed a gentle hand on Emiko's back. "She's known for being spiteful. You're beautiful, Emiko." Horn promised. Emiko sat up, staring at Horn.

"No, I'm 'average'." Emiko responded bitterly, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Actually, you're quite pretty." Chess piped in, smiling cheerfully. "Though, you are human, so you do have a fair share of flaws. I mean, vampires can't get pimples, and we have perfect posture. Oh, and we don't sweat either, so we don't have to take like a _million_ showers a day-" Chess cut off at Horn's glare.

"Chess," She scolded warningly. Chess shrank back at Horn's warning, smiling sheepishly. Emiko, on the other hand, looked even more miserable. Horn turned back to Emiko, patting her shoulder. "You have something Svetlana doesn't." Horn hinted at. Emiko perked up, looking at Horn curiously.

"What?" She asked, head cocked to the side. Horn smiled smugly.

"Lord Crowley's affection."

…

Emiko _so_ did not have Crowley's affection. It was three days into Svetlana's stay, and Emiko had nearly chewed down all of her fingernails. Emiko caught the two progenitors together constantly, usually with Svetlana a little too close to Crowley for Emiko's liking. Like, a continent too close. Crowley, on the other hand, seemed very receptive to Svetlana's advances. Or, well, he wasn't rejecting them.

She'd hear them laughing down the hall. Svetlana would say something flirtatious, Crowley would call her 'Lana', like they were close. Emiko punched a hole in the wall the other day, and her hand was now bandaged. Her only regret was that the wall wasn't Svetlana's face.

When Svetlana wasn't taking up all of Crowley's time, she was actively seeking out fun new ways to demean and embarrass Emiko. The progenitor woman walked in on Emiko training, and called her 'sluggish' and 'predictable'. She caught Emiko sewing and called her work 'dull' and 'ugly'. She also took every chance to make fun of Emiko's appearance. When it wasn't pointing out flaws on Emiko's face, she made fun of her body.

Emiko had once been very proud of her figure. She had larger-than-average sized breasts, a small waist, and long legs. However, Svetlana said Emiko looked 'bizarre' with her 'strange proportions'. Emiko finally snapped back that Svetlana was just jealous because, as Emiko put it, 'all that supernatural power still couldn't give you big boobs'. Svetlana had retaliated by pouring motor oil on Emiko's head. Three showers, and Emiko still smelled like a garage.

Currently, Emiko was sulking in her room, hiding underneath the blankets on her bed. Mirai sat at the vanity, book in hand. Mirai found the entire situation funny, even laughing when Emiko returned with oil in her hair. Emiko had more than once begged Mirai to kill the progenitor. Mirai retorted that killing people was wrong. When Emiko reminded Mirai she was an evil demon, Mirai responded that demons don't kill people who amuse them.

"I hate her!" Emiko whined, her voice muffled by the blankets. Mirai sighed in annoyance, snapping her book shut and setting it on the vanity. The young Demon stood, approaching the bed and throwing the covers onto the floor. Emiko squeaked, huddling into a ball. She glared up at the red-eyed girl. Mirai crawled onto the bed, taking a seat beside Emiko.

"Do you want to defeat her?" Mirai asked calmly. Emiko sat up, nodding her head vigorously. She wanted to defeat Svetlana more than anything. More than she wanted to pull pranks, even more than she wanted to tackle Krul in a leaping hug. Mirai leaned in closer to speak to Emiko. "If you want to defeat her, you're going to have to hit her in her weak spot." Mirai explained, voice low. Emiko gave a look of confusion.

"What is her weak spot?" Emi asked slowly. Mirai rolled her eyes, shaking her head in exasperation. How did Emiko survive this long?

"Emiko," Mirai said seriously, grabbing Emiko's hands. Emiko gave all of her attention to Mirai, staring at her patiently. "Crowley doesn't want her. Crowley wants you. Crowley wants you really bad." Emiko's cheeks turned bright red at Mirai's implication. Mirai sighed loudly, rubbing her temples in annoyance. "For one so observant, you're incredibly dense." Emiko pouted, smacking Mirai's shoulder.

"Hey! My confidence is low enough as it is with that tick bitch making her demeaning comments!" She objected loudly. Mirai's lip quirked up into a smug smirk. Mirai stood, moving from the bed to Emiko's wardrobe. Mirai and Emiko had shared clothes since they'd been separated, though Emiko's clothes didn't fit her new body quite well. Emiko kept promising to make Mirai new clothes, but she'd been putting it off. Mirai opened the wardrobe, shuffling through the hangers until her eyes landed on one dress in particular.

"Wear this, and he'll be putty in your hands." The way Mirai said it made Emiko feel uncomfortable. It was less encouraging, and more menacing, like Mirai assumed Crowley would do Emiko's bidding as long as she wore slutty clothing. Which, admittedly, could come in handy, but she didn't think it would work. Plus, Emiko had once told Crowley she wasn't an object to be controlled. It would be kind of hypocritical if she tried to treat him the same. He'd probably make her run forty laps again if she tried anyway. She visibly winced at the thought.

"No, I'm not going to use Crowley to defeat Svetlana." Emiko responded adamantly. Mirai frowned.

"Why not? He'd enjoy it." Emiko turned away from Mirai, huffing as she left the room. Mirai smirked to herself, laughing quietly.

Emiko stormed down the halls, fuming after her conversation with Mirai. Emiko liked having Mirai around, but that didn't mean she wasn't still annoying. The demon took pleasure from her misery, she understood that. It was just irritating when she used Emiko's weaknesses against her.

Emiko turned a corner, stopping outside of Crowley's office. She walked in without hesitation, but came to an abrupt stop. Right before her eyes, the tick bitch had her lips against Crowley's throat. Both sets of eyes turned when Emiko entered. Crowley looked indifferent, though Emiko knew him well enough to know he was interested in what would happen next. Svetlana on the other hand, looked smug, pulling away from Crowley to grin at Emiko viciously.

Crowley could see the irritation in Emiko's eyes, but she had yet to make a move. Her fists were clenched at her sides, her mouth ajar. Then, before his eyes, she walked calmly across the room and stopped at his desk. She sent Svetlana a blank look, and then grabbed the letter opener on his desk. None of them got a chance to say a word before Emiko had raised the knife to her arm, and made a shallow cut.

It was silent. Both Nobles watched with bated breath as the blood welled from the cut, and began to leak down her arm. Crowley clenched the edge of his desk, the wood bending beneath his strength. Svetlana gulped, calming her bloodlust. When she had regained control, she gave Emiko a disdainful look.

"You think you can have power over us with your blood?" The noble woman sneered. "Krul Tepes has been treating you like you're special for too long! Understand now, livestock, you're nothing! Your existence is as meaningless on this planet as every other humans!" Silence once again enveloped the room, Svetlana and Emiko keeping each other's gaze. Svetlana glared at the short blonde, whereas Emiko's look was completely apathetic.

Crowley stared between the two of them. Svetlana's words were harsh, but Emiko could fight her own battles. Unless Svetlana made Emiko cry. Yeah, he'd have to kill the ninth progenitor then. No one was allowed to make Emiko cry. Still, Emiko's emotionless expression was slightly concerning. What was going on in that little blonde head of hers? Nothing good, obviously. The question was, how bad was this going to end?

Suddenly, Emiko looked conflicted. She pursed her lips, and then frowned, and then smiled. She clenched and unclenched her fists, and it became apparent to both progenitors that Emiko was weighing her chances of winning a fight against the noble woman. Finally, Emiko pouted, turned on her heel, and stormed out of the room. Crowley was almost proud of her self-control, until he remembered this was Emiko he was thinking about; there was no self-control. There was only temper tantrums, pranks, and sabotage. Emiko had forgone the temper tantrum, which meant either a prank or sabotage would take place sometime in the next few days.

Crowley chuckled to himself, capturing Svetlana's attention. She immediately put on a charming smile, running her hand up along his arm. "What's so funny?" She asked. Crowley glanced at her from the corner of his eye, his smirk growing.

"You'll find out soon enough."

…

This was a bad idea. Emiko knew this was a bad idea, yet somehow, Mirai had managed to talk her into it. Emiko looked herself up and down in the mirror in her room. The dress she wore looked good on her, obviously-she thought haughtily, but it was a bit uncomfortable. She wasn't used to wearing such revealing and tight garments. The dress was incredibly short, falling to barely mid-thigh when Emiko pulled down. The dress was strapless and skin tight. At the bottom there was a short ruffle skirt, branching out from the form fitting of the dress.

"He'll like the color." Mirai said boredly. She was right; the dress was a dark, blood red color. Obviously, he was partial to the shade. Mirai turned the page of her magazine, not even bothering to look up at Emiko. The demon had recently found an interest in fashion and gossip magazines. Something about 'Kardashians'-whatever that was-, and backstabbing.

"I don't know about this," Emiko muttered, playing with the loose curl framing her face. She had pinned up the majority of her hair into a loose bun, only allowing a few curls to frame each side of her face. She'd left her neck bare-pale and inviting. She was going to hell. After he killed her.

"Kim K does the same thing all the time. Trust me, it's always gotten her what she wanted." Emiko had no idea who Kim K was, but she was certain she should be afraid of her. Mirai sat up from the bed, setting her magazine down and looking over Emiko. After thirty seconds of scrutinizing her, she nodded in satisfaction. "Satisfactory. Now, destroy that bitch's confidence in one fell swoop and send her packing so I can leave this awful pink room." Mirai wrinkled her nose to prove her point.

"You only helped me so I would make her leave, and you could get out." Emiko accused. Mirai smirked, showing off her pearly white teeth. She looked like the mix between the cheshire cat and a shark. It was not a pretty combination. Emiko shook her head with a scowl. No matter her reasons, Emiko couldn't back out now. Her pride was far too damaged; she needed to make Svetlana cry so she could regain her confidence.

Girls, whatever species, were mean.

Emiko let out a stuttering sigh. She could do this. She was hot, sexy, even. She could be seductive. The dress was already doing half the work. She just needed to give lusty smiles and say sensual words right? Emiko looked at herself in the mirror, and attempted a flirty grin. It felt awkward and uncomfortable holding the expression, and it made her look deformed. She frowned. Okay, she couldn't do that.

"Emiko, it's time for the din-" Chess trudged into the room, coming to an abrupt stop at her door. Her wide red orbs looked Emiko over in surprise, before a mischievous grin formed. The short progenitor gave a girlish giggle, clapping her hands excitedly. "Finally! Okay, stay here, I'll go get Horn." Chess chirped, turning on her heel to leave. Emiko didn't get a word out edgewise before the door was closed. Emiko looked to Mirai for help.

"Sex tips." Mirai stated bluntly, eyes scanning the page of her magazine. Emiko's face blazed red, and she slapped her hands over her cheeks. She gave a squeal of embarrassment, and bolted out of the room. There was absolutely no way she could go through with her plan if Horn and Chess made her sit through a sex-ed class.

Emiko moved as quickly as she could down the hall, though that wasn't saying much; she was wearing four inch heels. Before she reached the dining hall, Emiko stopped outside. She grabbed hold of the wall for support, trying to calm her breathing. 'I can do this, I can do this…' she chanted those words like a mantra in her head.

Shaking her head slowly, she stood up straight. 'I'm an angel, dammit', she yelled internally. 'Shouldn't I be able to seduce one vampire?' She straightened her shoulders and brushed her hands over her dress, smoothing out the wrinkles. Taking one more deep breath, Emiko pushed open the door to the dining hall.

Emiko walked inside, three sets of eyes turning to look at her. She looked to meet each pair of eyes; Svetlana's cold, icy stare pierced her, making Emiko shiver. However, the boiling jealousy hidden in those ruby depths gave Emiko a rush of smug satisfaction. Next, Emiko looked to Crowley. Her satisfaction increased when she saw the look in his eyes. His normally calm and nonchalant expression was nowhere to be found. Instead, his eyes burned with hunger, his cat-like pupils dilating to twice their size. His shoulders were tense, his hands gripping the edges of the table in a fierce hold. When their gazes met his eyes narrowed, and he seemed to be trying to discern her intentions. A smug grin crawled up Emiko's lips.

Her grin quickly fell when she saw the next vampire in the room. She stumbled over her heels at the sight of the silver-haired immortal. Ferid sat across from Svetlana, smiling pleasantly at Emiko. Amusement glowed in his ruby orbs, and he waved at Emiko. She glanced between the three of them, suddenly nervous again. She bit her bottom lip, wondering if maybe she should change. She hadn't expected Ferid to be here. She was already going to be nervous enough around Svetlana and Crowley.

Svetlana's mocking laughter stopped Emiko. The blonde's head snapped to the ninth progenitor. She was smirking cruelly at Emiko, though it looked far more like a sneer to Emiko. "Maybe you should slip on some flats, livestock. Aren't you a little childish to be wearing heels?" She scoffed. Emiko grit her teeth, her fists clenching at her sides. The desire to punch that pompous progenitor bitch in her stupid face was overpowering. However, Emiko knew she couldn't win with pure violence. She needed to control her temper. Emiko closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself.

Emiko forced a smile on her face, and snapped her eyes open. She placed a hand on her hip, jutting it out. She stretched her leg out slightly, giving Crowley a proper view of her bare skin. "I don't know, I thought they made my legs look longer." Emiko murmured, and met Svetlana's eyes coyly. "You did say I was too short. I took your suggestion to heart." The two women were in a stare-off, and it became clear to the men in the room that this was a battlefield. Both girls were ready for war and they weren't going to back down until one of them had won.

"I didn't know you were dining with us tonight, Emi." Ferid spoke up, breaking the stare-off. Emiko turned to him, and smiled, though it was much more nervous now.

"Well, I changed my mind. I made this dress a while ago, and I haven't had a place to wear it. This gave me the opportunity." She answered simply. Ferid's smirk grew, and he subtly glanced at Crowley. The thirteenth progenitors eyes hadn't moved from Emiko the second she'd walked in the door. 'Quite smitten,' Ferid thought. 'This dinner just got more interesting.'

Emiko took a seat beside Crowley, and the servants brought out wine glasses filled with blood for the vampires. A plate of food was brought out for Emiko, and despite herself, she dug in. She had been too nervous to eat all day. Plus, she had been worried about her stomach sticking out in the dress. Now, not so much. The three progenitors spoke to each other pleasantly, keeping up the chitchat. It was clear Ferid and Crowley were merely trying to keep Svetlana entertained, though Emiko didn't understand why. Emiko would rather entertain a telephone pole. She'd take it out to dinner, buy it a nice meal, and even kiss it goodnight, rather than spend time with Svetlana.

"How have you enjoyed Japan?" Ferid asked the german woman. Svetlana smiled indulgently, taking a sip from her glass.

"It's been wonderful. I've had lovely company. Crowley certainly knows how to keep a woman satisfied." The glare on Emiko's face was dangerous. Ferid could see it now; the girl was practically smoking at the ears. Jealousy was not one of the prettiest colors on the human girl, but it was unusual. Crowley, on the other hand, had regained fair control over his emotions. He was watching the exchange between the two woman with a smug look in his eyes. Of course he was fully aware the two women were fighting over him, which he enjoyed; immensely. Watching Emiko get jealous was amusing, and he was curious how far she'd take this. Hopefully, all the way to his bedroom. He had already been chomping at the bit to make her his, and that dress was pushing his self-control. As much as he was enjoying the cat fight before him, he didn't know how much longer he could wait.

"Yes, well i've been living with Crowley for nearly a year and he's not once satisfied me." Emiko muttered under her breath. Ferid covered his mouth to hide his laugh. Crowley winced at the insult, though he wasn't offended. It would not be his Emiko if she didn't make her snarky little comments. Svetlana, on the other hand, took Emiko's comment for jealousy.

"Well, what would he want with an immature brat like you? You're not desirable company at all." She sneered hatefully. All was quiet in the dining hall. Emiko was perfectly still, though there was slight tremor across her skin, signifying just how infuriated she truly was. Crowley knew then; she wouldn't be able to control her temper any longer.

He still had not expected what she did next. Emiko stood, body stiff. She kept eye contact with Svetlana, her expression cold and challenging. She reached a hand behind her back, and to everyone's shock, she pulled down the zipper of her dress. The crimson dress pooled at Emiko's feet, leaving the blonde in a matching pair of black underwear and heels. Emiko placed a pale hand on the bare curve of her waist, and stared Svetlana down. The progenitor woman's mouth was hanging open in shock at the audacity of this human.

The shocking actions didn't stop there though. Emiko stepped out of the dress, and moved towards Crowley. Crowley stared, lust overwhelming his senses. Every muscle in his body was tense, screaming at him to grab her and take her. His shock wouldn't allow him to do anything else than stare wide-eyed as the near naked girl approached him.

Emiko was nervous, but it was overruled by her desire to put Svetlana in her place. It didn't help that the way Crowley had been looking at her throughout the meal was ignoring a fire in her stomach. She stopped in front of Crowley, meeting his heated gaze for a second, and then straddled his lap. She gripped the sides of his face, closed her eyes, and pressed her lips against his in a fiery kiss.

Fireworks exploded in Emiko's veins. They sent sparks of electricity racing throughout her body, meeting in the pit of her stomach. She'd kissed Crowley before, but not like this. Not with this passion, anger, and desire. It made her feel alive, like something inside of her had been sleeping till now. Almost immediately after she kissed him, Crowley himself awoke. The fire in her kiss had freed him of his shock, and the craving for her body began to drive him.

He moved his lips against hers, forceful and yearning. His hands gripped her waist, his fingers pressing into the skin of her back. He pressed her closer to him, growling lowly at the feel of her grinding against him. He stood abruptly, carrying her with him. He used one hand to direct her legs around his waist. She hooked her legs around him, wrapping one of her arms around his shoulders to give her better stability and a deeper connection of their mouths. He started towards the door, hitting into the edge of the table on his way. He reached the door, reaching out to grasp the handle to push it open.

"Lord Crowley! You can't seriously desire this livestock?" Svetlana shrieked, chair scraping against the floor as she stood. Crowley paused, pressing Emiko's back against the door so he could separate himself from her lips. Emiko stared up at him, hungry and wanting, but a hidden nervousness in her gaze. She was worried he was more interested in Svetlana than her. The notion seemed ridiculous to Crowley, but it probably made sense to Emiko. She was young and Svetlana had been antagonizing her all week. It probably didn't help that Crowley had to keep Svetlana company, under the orders of Krul.

"Svetlana," Crowley said, voice pleasant but impatient. "bother someone else." Neither Crowley or Emiko heard the sounds of indignation from Svetlana, or the amused laughter from Ferid. Crowley had returned to Emiko's lips and pressed her against him again. He opened the door to the hall, and moved at an alarming rate towards his room, arriving there in mere seconds. They entered the room swiftly, Crowley kicking the door closed behind them.

He pressed her up against the door, his hands travelling down to grip her thighs. He ground himself against her, the both of them enjoying the friction. Emiko gasped at the feeling, eyes squeezed shut. Crowley took the opening, slipping his tongue into her mouth. She tasted sweet with a little spice, like cinnamon and chocolate. She traced her tongue against his, the two appendages playfully fighting for dominance. He won by dragging her bottom lip between his teeth, fang scraping against the sensitive flesh. She tensed at the pleasurable pain of his fangs biting into her lip, releasing a noise that was a mix between a sigh and a gasp.

The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth. Crowley drank the blood greedily, his grip on her tightening. It had been so long since he'd had her blood. The taste mixed with pleasure made it even more intoxicating. Emiko pulled back, leaning her head against the door as she sucked in large gasps of breath. Crowley moved his lips across her jaw, and then down to her neck, his nose and lips ghosting the skin in a sensual promise. One of his hands travelled up the length of her stomach, stopping at her left breast. He squeezed, eliciting another needy sound from Emiko's mouth.

He needed her. Not just her body or her blood, but the very essence of who she is. He needed her skin pressed against his, warming him. He needed her laughs and teasings, her moans and gasps. It wasn't just a desire; it was an all-consuming need. All pretenses of control had all but left him, but he knew he couldn't continue without warning her. He pulled back from his assault on her neck, moving back up to hover in front of her face. His nose brushed against hers, and he couldn't help brushing his lips against her skin one more time.

"Emiko," He murmured, his voice husky. Emiko's eyes slid open, the glaze of desire staring back at him in her blue orbs. His grip tightened, and he almost returned his mouth to her throat. Despite the affect those eyes had on him, he kept her gaze. He needed her to be serious for just a moment. "You are pushing my control to its limits." His voice was nearly a growl, the monster inside close to the surface. "Make a decision now, if this is what you want." He warned her. Even as he gave her the power to choose, he couldn't help but brush his lips across her cheeks and jaw. Emiko shuddered in pleasure at the feeling, though she tried to focus.

Did she want to go through with this? She'd originally planned to use her sex appeal to upshow Svetlana and keep Crowley's attention on her. She hadn't actually planned to go this far. Emiko's reckless and temperamental, but her virginity had been something she'd guarded fiercely. The world had taken almost every scrap of innocence she had, and so she had clung tightly to what she felt was the last of it. Did she want to give that to Crowley?

 _Yes._ Her relationship with Crowley was confusing and frustrating, but it felt right. Since the very beginning, she'd felt comfortable with him. _Safe._ He didn't judge her, and she didn't judge him. He made her better, stronger. She liked to think maybe she made him better too. She'd been denying her desires too long, for a multitude of reasons. Now, she had nothing to hold her back.

Emiko lowered her head to his neck, brushing her lips across the smooth marble skin. She acted as if she were about to give him a hickey (if vampires could have such things) and then bit down-hard. Crowley's body jolted at the feel of her blunt teeth biting into the skin of his neck. Emiko pulled back before she could ingest his blood, and met his gaze. She bit her lip, smiling playfully. Crowley's chest rumbled as he chuckled lowly, touching his neck, and pulling his hand back to see the blood on his fingers. He looked back to meet her gaze, grin predatory.

In a whirl of color, Emiko found her back sinking into the comfort of his bed. He hovered above her, gripping each hand in his at the side of her head. "Minx," He whispered playfully against her ear, sending a needy shiver down her spine. He met her gaze, eyes steady, as he slowly trailed his hand down her arm, running his fingertips across her skin lightly. The feeling was indescribable, promising. Her eyes closed and she released a shaky breath as his hand circled her breast. He teased the top of her breast not covered by the bra, and then played with the lacy fabric of her undergarment. She arched, giving an impatient noise. He laughed quietly to himself; watching her squirm was amusing, but he was desperate for contact as well.

He trailed his hand behind her back, expertly undoing the clasp. He pulled the bra off of her and flung it across the room. He leaned down, hovering over her chest, and then taking a nipple into his mouth. Emiko moaned fully then, arching her body up against his, begging for more contact. Her hands came to rest in his hair, and he pushed them back, holding them against the side of her head again. She growled in frustration, and he couldn't help but smirk. He swirled his tongue around her nipple and then pulled back an inch.

"Be patient, Emiko." He taunted. As if he should be the one preaching that. Emiko responded by circling her hips up against his, teasing him with the warmth of her core. He growled lowly, eyes darkening lustfully, and he had to retaliate; He gave a teasing lick to her breast, and then he bit down.

The feeling was euphoric. Biting had felt good before-not that she'd told Crowley that-but he had been right about one thing; She didn't know just how good a bite could feel, until now. The heat of his mouth on her breast sent pleasure running straight to her core. Coherent thought flew right out the window, as all she could do was whine and moan, pushing against his hold on her hands so she could press herself fully against him.

Crowley retracted from the bite, giving the two marks a final lick, and then moved to give his attention to her other breast. He licked and kissed and sucked on this breast too, transferring Emiko's hands to only one of his so he could use his other hand to knead her other breast. Soon, he was moving down the center of Emiko's chest, following a scorching trail all the way to her naval. He hovered over there, breathing hot air against the skin, and then followed the trail all the way back up to her lips.

He finally let her hands free, allowing her to clutch at his back. He moved his hands down her body, trailing them across her waist and hips, and then stopping at the edge of her panties. Emiko's breath caught in her throat when he slowly lowered the thin fabric down her legs. The realization that this was truly happening hit Emiko, but it didn't make her nervous; she was excited. If she felt this good already, she couldn't imagine what would come next.

Crowley traced his fingers over her core, getting them slick with Emiko's essence. He was fully aware this was Emiko's first time, and he needed to make sure she was fully prepared, even if his patience was giving out. He slipped one finger inside her, eliciting another throaty gasp from the blonde beneath him. It was a strange feeling for Emiko, not painful, but unfamiliar. He pumped his finger inside of her, and then added a second one. The feeling became slightly uncomfortable, her insides stretching to accommodate his fingers. He pressed his thumb against her clit, making Emiko see stars, momentarily forgetting about the discomfort of the fingers moving inside of her. He added a third finger, and Emiko felt a short dull pain, before he put more pressure against her clit, hiding pain with pleasure.

Soon, the feeling of his fingers pumping inside of her became pleasurable, and she began to move her hips to thrust against them. She gasped and pleaded, begging for release. He pressed a kiss against her lips, and then to her ear. "Cum Emiko." He whispered sensually, and Emiko came undone. She cried out, pressing herself up against his hand and digging her nails into his back. He watched as she experienced her orgasm, studying every detail of the breathtaking image beneath him.

She was panting, eyes squeezed shut tight in pleasure as she pressed herself against him. She held onto him like her life depended on it, and he savored the feeling. She needed him in that moment, as much as he needed her. Soon, the high began to ebb and Emiko fell against the bed, huffing and panting, covered in a thin layer of sweat. Her hooded gaze looked up to meet Crowley, dazed and wanting. Soon, she moved her hands from his back, placing them on his shoulders. Her eyes became more alert, and she studied him closely, a pouty frown on her lips.

"Why are you wearing clothes?" She sounded incredulous, and lusty, and he wanted to ravish her. Before he got the chance to respond, Emiko flipped the tables, pushing him into the bed and landing on top of him. She smiled devilishly, a predatory glint in her eye. He allowed her to take the reins, and she began by undoing the buttons on his jacket. Well, she tried to undo the buttons on his jackets. Her hands were trembling, still racing with the adrenaline from her high. "Stupid buttons." She muttered to herself. Crowley chuckled deeply, and moved to undo the buttons himself. She smacked his hands away, giving him a warning look. He smirked, but said nothing else. He quite enjoyed the sight above him anyway; Emiko on top of him, naked, attempting to take his clothes off.

Finally, Emiko managed to undo the buttons and he sat up abruptly, holding the small of her back so she didn't fall. He kept her in his lap as he removed the offending garment, leaving him bare-chested. Emiko reached out, running her hands across his chest in an exploratory manner. She seemed determined to feel every inch of his skin, and her exploring sent a rumble of pleasure through him. Once she was satisfied, she moved lower, hovering. He nearly groaned at the agony, but waited, impatiently, for her to act. It took only a second of hesitation before she moved to the button of his pants. She undid this one with much more ease, but Crowley's patience wore thin.

He switched their places once more, pushing Emiko down into the comforter. When Emiko looked his pants were gone, leaving him as bare as she was. She blushed, biting her lip nervously. Crowley gripped her hip, running his length along her slit. Emiko clutched at his shoulders in a mixture of anticipation and anxiety. Crowley felt her worry in the scrape of her nails against his shoulders. He pressed his lips against hers in a passionate kiss, and then trailed down to her neck. Just as he entered her, he bit into the soft skin of her neck.

Her nails dug into his shoulders, a cry that was a mix between pleasure and pain escaping her lips. Crowley stilled inside her, taking small gulps of her blood as he waited for her to adjust. Emiko began to move her hips slowly, experimentally. Crowley unintentionally bit into her harder, the feeling of her moving against him almost unbearable. Finally, she thrust up into him, and his self-control snapped.

He pushed into her, again and again, at a pace that wasn't quite human. He pulled back from her neck, moving to connect their lips in a bloody and sensual kiss. Emiko responded heatedly, pressing up to meet his lips with the same amount of force he was using. She moved her hips up to meet his, the feeling of their bodies connecting erotic and exciting and completely irresistible.

Crowley moved back from her lips, pressing his forehead against hers. Both him and Emiko were getting close to cumming, and his speed picked up again. Emiko panted, gripping the back of his neck and reaching up to hover by his ear. She knew exactly what she needed to do to push them over the edge, to give Crowley the permission to use his supernatural strength.

"Harder." She breathed against him. Crowley's last ounce of any restrictions left him. He plunged into her and bit into her neck again. Emiko cried out pleasurably one last time, tightening around him as she came. Crowley groaned at the feeling of her walls clenching around him, and a few more thrusts he followed her into sweet bliss.

Emiko panted beneath him, clutching onto him. Her eyes were drooping, and he knew she must be tired. He pulled out of her, and rolled them over, Emiko lying on top of his chest. She glanced up at him to meet his red-eyed gaze, and gave a satisfied smile. "We...should do that more often." She murmured against his chest. He laughed, smiling down at her with the same satisfied smile she wore. He wrapped his arms around her, pressing a kiss to her head. She smiled again and closed her eyes, soon drifting off into a content sleep.

Crowley brushed the hair from her face, watching her sleep against him. He ran his fingers gently over her swollen lips. He felt slightly guilty that he bit her lip, but she would probably be healed by the time she woke up. He sighed contentedly. Finally.

...

 **...*Nose Bleed*...AHEM!**

 **That was the first lemon I've ever written...What did you think? Be honest, so I can get better at writing them! Also, sorry for being a little aggressive about the whole 'not reporting me' thing, but I really don't like the idea of that happening. As I said last chapter, this is for my lovely readers (you) whom I adore and cherish, but It's also for me. I love Crowiko (Yes I gave them a ship name, don't judge me!) and so I've been looking forward to writing this...also, i'm trash.**

 **Oh! I have to tell you guys a story, because I'm really proud of myself!**

 **So, a little backstory. I have severe arachnophobia. Like, crawl into a ball and sob at the sight of a centimeter sized spider across the room, arachnophobia. It's bad. I hate most insects actually, but spiders are the worst. So, obviously, I have trouble killing them. So, I went out to the garage the other night for a pepsi (drink of the gods, my friend) and when I turned to go back into the house there was this HUGE spider prancing across the ground like the little motherfucker it is. It eventually gets far enough out of the way that I can run back inside, where I go and get my brother, so he can kill it.**

 **A little bit of knowledge about my brother; he's kind of a jackass. I mean, I love him, but it's true. He NEVER wants to kill spiders for me, so I usually have to beg or cry, or both. This time, it didn't take too much work to get him to go kill it! Yay! But anyway, I really wanted to encourage this behavior! Like, I need my own personal spider killer! So, I bought him a present the next day, and gave it to him. I plan to pull a Pavlov on him and condition him to associate killing spiders with getting presents. And...I can't tell anyone else for fear he'll find out, so I had to tell you, my dear internet friends!**

 **Okay...yeah...heehee...**

 **Please Review! I like Reviews!**

 **Fun Fact:**

 **To call Mirai a 'demon' is a bit of a misnomer. Technically, it makes sense because most of her powers and abilities are that of a demon. She no longer has her abilities as an angel either. However, the term 'fallen angel' is much more correct, because Mirai is capable of affection and love, whereas demons are not.**


	26. Chapter 26

**Sorry this took so long! I don't really have too much of an excuse, besides the fact that It's been the holidays, I've been busy playing kingdom hearts and pokemon moon, and I've kind of had more writers block. (i honestly don't know what is wrong with my mind right now. I used to be able to write an entire chapter in a day, and then do another the next day, and now it feels like agony to just open up the doc. Please send help!) Anyway, here is this chapter! I hope you enjoy it, even though it is a plot bunny. Not much happens, but at the same time, a lot happens...? Do with that what you will.**

 **Foxy Vixen: Nope, not the end! There is lots more to come! This story is kind of written like a shakespeare play, it's in different acts, so sometimes it'll have places where it might seem like the end. Don't worry, shit will hit the fan. :D Thanks for reviewing!**

 **99: Thanks so much, haha. I don't know if I'll ever make her pregnant, but it's an interesting idea! Within the plot I already have, it won't happen, but who knows, the manga is still going on! Thanks for reviewing!**

 **lilly11594: I haven't decided. I've tossed the idea around a bit in my head, but Mirai is pretty vicious to most people, even though she acts cold. She kind of tosses between chaotic neutral to lawful evil a lot. The only person she has any loyalty to is Emiko, and that's questionable at points, for obvious reasons. Still, I kind of like the idea, and I have a few characters in mind! Thanks for reviewing!**

 **: Heehee, well thank you! I'm very grateful for your respect! Fan service is indeed something I love, but have never written really before (besides like pg-13) so I'm glad you enjoyed it! There will be more to come! And yes, spiders are indeed assholes, and they should be obliterated from the earth. Thanks for reviewing!**

 **To all readers and reviewers: Thanks so much for reading, and thanks for those who review! I love writing, and I'm so glad so many people get joy from my silliness. This story originally was going to be something so much darker than it actually is, but it ended up differently. (Though I don't dislike that.) I know I can take long to update and I sincerely apologize! Please continue to read and enjoy! Also, please review if you can! I do read every review and I love hearing from you, even though I don't normally respond. :( Sorry! I really mean to respond, but I usually update late at night and by that point I'm tired and I forget. I'll try harder to respond! Now, I'll stop ranting! Onto the story!**

It was cold. The air was still, but icy cold, brushing against her skin like daggers. Emiko shook her head, glancing up at the sky; dark gray clouds hid any source of light from sight, though strangely she could see perfectly. Emiko glanced back down, looking out around her. She was in a wasteland. Every inch of ground she could see was covered in dark soil, not a tree or blade of grass in sight. Sticking up out the ground were thousands of swords, all different in style. Some she recognized as the demon weapons from the army, others were similar to the swords she'd seen nobles like Crowley or Ferid have.

A shiver ran down her spine at the sight. Was this a vision of a battle to come? It didn't look promising. There seemed to be plenty of casualties on both sides. She walked further into the clearing, studying the weapons as she walked. Up ahead, the weapons changed. These were different to the swords behind her. They had a golden hue glowing around them, radiating heat. The hilt of the blade was a shining silver, intricately crafted, each with different patterns. The blade itself was strangest; it looked like it was made of crystal, but she knew that couldn't be the case.

Emiko reached out her hand, sweeping her fingers over the blade. She gasped at the feel of its warmth. It wasn't the good kind of heat; it didn't burn, but it was uncomfortable, like warm blood running across chilled skin. Emiko pulled away, and walked passed the swords, until she found herself atop a hill. Centered at the very peak of the hill, was a weapon that sent a shock of fear through her heart.

The weapon itself seemed impractical. It was a sword, but it had two different types of blades woven around each other, until they met at the tip in one sharp point. The blades were similar, one black with a glowing green strip in the middle, telling Emiko it was a demon weapon. The other blade looked like the strange crystal ones behind her. Both blades were covered in dripping blood. The hilt looked like tarnished gold, or as if it was burnt.

Despite her fear, Emiko felt drawn to the weapon. She reached a hand out towards the weapon, intent on finding out what it was. A voice behind her stopped her.

"Don't touch that." Emiko jumped, whirling around. Her mother stood behind her in all her golden beauty. She wore a billowing white dress, though the air continued to remain still. She had a look on her face Emiko had never seen; it appeared to be a mixture of fear and anger. She held her hand out towards Emiko, beckoning her over. Emiko shook off her shock, racing to meet her mother. She wrapped her arms around her. Emiko knew now; this was her real mother, visiting her in her dreams. Her mother returned the hug for a moment, but then pulled back. "Don't touch that sword." She warned her daughter again. Emiko met her gaze in confusion.

"Why not?" She asked. Her mother's smile was gentle, but concerned.

"Demons are simple, easy. You know what they want." Her mother mused. "Humans and vampires are more difficult. They're not inherently bad but...they have a tendency to make bad choices. Angels are even worse. Mirai had it right, when she said they were destroying their own purity. They've become twisted and hateful. All they can think about is their hatred for the humans." Her mother ran her hand through Emiko's hair, a thoughtful expression on her face. She glanced down to meet Emiko's eyes. "Don't get involved in their war, Emi. This place...it's inevitable. But that sword up on that hill doesn't have to be here. There doesn't need to be more bloodshed." Emiko was confused.

"Mom, I don't understand. What do you mean?" Emiko murmured against her mother's shoulder. Her mother sighed.

"There is no right or wrong, no good or evil. There's just pain and destruction. Don't get pulled into it. You don't owe anyone, anything."

…

Emiko woke with her face tucked into the crook of Crowley's neck. Her chest lied bare against his, one of her arms draped over him. Crowley had both of his arms around Emiko, one holding the small of her back, and the other tangled in the locks of her hair. The sheets covered the both of them, but Emiko was fully aware that they were both completely nude beneath the sheets. She fidgeted, licking her lips nervously. How had this happened?

Oh. Yeah. Her jealousy got the best of her.

Not that she regretted it. She thoroughly enjoyed last night. Just the reminder of their bodies pressing into each other, the jolts of euphoric pleasure with every thrust...Emiko turned red. She let out an involuntary squeak at her thoughts. They were so sinful...and they made Emiko want to do it again. And again. Maybe up against the wall...she (secretly) liked when he'd pressed her against the wall and kissed her.

Emiko broke from her thoughts, and looked up at Crowley. She was surprised to find he was sleeping. It was strange to catch him off guard. It gave her a chance to observe him without interruption. He looked peaceful when asleep, one of his fangs peeking out from his lip. His hair was still perfectly placed, which kind of irritated her. She had no doubt her hair was in a rat's nest right now. At the thought, Emiko's eyes widened.

She had just woken up, after sex. Her hair was definitely a mess, and she was probably still covered in her own sweat from the night before. She probably had morning breath! Emiko flung herself off of the bed, leg getting trapped in the sheets. She hung off of the bed, fighting vainly to free her trapped limb. In all the fighting, she didn't feel Crowley wake.

He watched her quietly, amusement flickering in his eyes. He didn't know exactly what she was attempting to do, though he could guess she was freaking out over the night before. He expected that; she was a fickle little thing. Of course, you never really knew with Emiko. For all he knew, she could be leaving to make them breakfast, totally forgetting the fact that he doesn't eat.

She would do that.

A chuckle rumbled in his throat, finally alerting Emiko to his waking. She froze, turning her head slowly to glance back at him. He was wearing one of those rare smiles that had no hidden intent. Emiko's cheeks turned rosy, and she bit her lip.

"What are you doing?" He asked playfully. He moved his hand from the sheets to her exposed leg, poking her calf. She jolted, another squeal escaping her mouth. She started to struggle again. She turned away from him with the hopes he wouldn't be able to smell her breath.

"Shower!" She called, her voice several octaves higher than usual. Crowley's smile grew salacious, and he gripped hold of her ankle just as she freed her other leg. She lunged for the door victoriously, only to face plant into the carpet. She groaned in pain. "What was that for?" She whined, pushing up on her arms to glare back at him. His eyes danced with mischief. He cocked his head to the side.

"Were you just going to shower without me?" For a split second, Emiko's face was blank. Then, as his words sunk in, she turned as red as a tomato. Her mouth gaped open, and she tried to form words, but she couldn't think of anything to say. Finally, she decided to turn and try to crawl away. Surprisingly, he let her, dropping her ankle and allowing her to crawl towards his bathroom door. She stumbled to her feet, clutching the wall for support. She turned to send him a heated glare.

"Pervert!" She yelled, and then slammed the door shut behind her. Several seconds went by in silence, Crowley merely watching the door with barely concealed laughter. A few curse words left Emiko's mouth as she moved throughout the bathroom. A few seconds later she stuck her head out of the door. "I need a toothbrush." She mumbled, glancing anywhere but him. "And clothes." She added, at the realization she'd left her dress in the dining room.

Oh god, she'd undressed in front of three vampires, two of which she hated! She was probably seen in nothing but her underwear as they'd moved through the halls. There went her dignity.

"I'll wait here." Crowley responded casually, relaxing back into the bed. Emiko's jaw dropped. He really expected her to just walk out and go get her things? She was naked! She snapped her jaw shut suddenly, scowling at him. Fine, two could play at this game. Swallowing her pride (and sanity), Emiko left the safety of the bathroom, heading towards the bedroom door. She didn't look at Crowley, but his silence was all the answer she needed. He didn't think she would do it.

He was right.

Emiko put her hand on the doorknob, and then glanced back at Crowley. He raised an eyebrow, watching her patiently. Emiko turned the doorknob; no response. She huffed in annoyance, crossing her arms.

"Fine." Emiko said stubbornly, turning to face him fully. She kept a straight face, meeting his gaze with a clear challenge. "I'll just get someone else to satisfy my desires next time." Her words didn't have the desired effect. He merely stared back at her, still smiling that smug grin. He wasn't taking the bait. It was time to up her game. "Mika might be willing. He's kind of stubborn, but even he has desires. I wonder what kind of lover he would be? He's got a lot of pent up anger, I'm sure all that energy would translate well into se-" Crowley was standing in front of her before she could finish her sentence. His expression was pleasant, but his eyes were dangerous. He knew Emiko was trying to manipulate him, but that didn't mean it wasn't working. Mostly because she might actually go after Mika to spite him. He gripped her chin in his hand, forcing her up to face him.

"Emiko." He spoke calmly, patiently. His other hand rested on her hip, kneading her flesh gently.

"Yes?" She asked, voice barely containing her excitement.

"I will kill any man who touches you. Do you understand?" He asked, voice patient but firm. Emiko couldn't help a smile. He was being possessive, and she kind of liked it. It sent a thrill of heat through her body.

"If _you_ ever want to touch me again, you'll be a gentlemen and get dressed and go get me some clothes and a toothbrush." They were stuck at a stalemate. Neither one of them wanted to give in, but Crowley finally decided to pick his battles. As much as he liked the idea of watching her move around his room bare and beautiful, he didn't doubt Emiko would make good on her word, at least for a little while. Besides, she still hadn't said anything about the bite marks marring her flesh, and that was going to be another battle all on its own.

"Fine." He relented, stepping back from her. Her eyes gleamed with triumph, and she moved around him to head back to the bathroom. Then, she stopped. She peeked back over her shoulder at him, a devious look on her face. "If I'm still in the shower when you get back, you can join me." Then she dashed for the door, slamming the bathroom door closed behind her. He shook his head.

"Minx." He muttered under his breath.

…

Chess and Horn wanted details. Very embarrassing, very personal details. The two had kidnapped her the second she'd walked out of his bedroom, carrying her off to hide in Chess' room. They were refusing to let her leave until they were satisfied. Even Horn, the more refined of the two, was asking some pretty personal questions. Honestly, if they were that curious, they should just sleep with him themselves.

Emiko paused. No, actually, they weren't allowed to do that. She might hurt them. Still, she couldn't handle all of these questions! By the the way the two progenitors eyes gleamed, she couldn't help but think it was only going to get worse. Thankfully, Mirai came barging through the door in the nick of time, red eyes blazing with irritation. Her demonic orbs searched the girls before zeroing in on Emiko. The terrifying demon stormed across the room, gripping Emiko's wrist, and then dragging her back towards the door. Chess and Horn protested, but one sharp glare from Mirai shut them up.

"Where are we going?" Emiko asked curiously. Mirai glanced back at Emiko, and then continued on her path. It still shocked her sometimes how the blonde wasn't the least bit frightened by her. Sure, Emiko was aware that Mirai wouldn't actually hurt her, but even before then she hadn't been afraid. She couldn't decide whether it was stupidity, arrogance, or her trusting nature coming into play. Mirai didn't stop until they'd arrived at the gymnasium where Emiko trained. It was empty now, but Emiko did have practice at noon. "What's going on?" Emiko questioned again. Mirai turned to face her.

"You had sex with Crowley last night, didn't you?" The she-demon asked with narrowed eyes. Emiko's blush was the only answer she needed. Not that it surprised Mirai, she had encouraged it even, but it did bring with it complications.

"That-" Emiko started, but Mirai cut her off.

"I don't need the gory details. There is merely something you need to know; Angels aren't like humans, and neither are vampires. You don't love in the same way. Vampires are prone to apathy, so when they love someone, they hold tight. They'll never forget them. Angels are even worse. There is no halfway, every part of your being will feel it. Being away from them will feel like a piece of your soul is missing." Mirai warned the teen gravelly. Emiko frowned.

"It wasn't gory." Emiko objected, completely ignoring everything else Mirai said. "Okay, so there might have been some blood, but biting makes it feel so-" Mirai held up a hand, scowling openly.

"Did you just hear anything I said?" She huffed in annoyance. Emiko's frown deepened, and she nodded reluctantly.

"I heard you." She sighed, brushing her hair out of her face. She ran her hands through the strands, and then began to twirl one around her finger. It was a sure sign that Emiko was thinking deeply on something. "I don't...know exactly how I feel yet." She admitted. "I want him. He makes me feel safe and protected, but also strong. He trusts me to fight my own battles, but he always defends me too. I don't think he loves me either, but...oh, I don't know." Emiko cried out in frustration, yanking on the strands of her hair. Mirai sighed in defeat. Sometimes she forgot the simple things about Emiko, like how she's never cared for anyone romantically.

"He loves you." Mirai spoke calmly, but surely. Emiko snapped her gaze up to meet Mirai's, eyes wide. "He wouldn't protect you the way he does if he didn't. But like I said, it's different for vampires, and I don't know everything that entails. As for you, well, it doesn't surprise me you don't know. I'm just warning you, before you walk a route you might regret." Emiko didn't say anything in response, but she was twirling her hair again. It was good enough for Mirai; as long as Emiko took what she said seriously, she would let her make her own decisions. "I have something for you." Mirai spoke up once more, catching Emiko's attention again.

"Something for me?" She echoed. She looked confused, but slowly it set in that Mirai meant a gift. The blue of her eyes shined, and she began to bounce on the balls of her feet. "What is it, what is it?" She asked eagerly. Mirai rolled her eyes.

"Technically, it's not really a gift. It's already yours, I'm just going to show you how to summon it." Mirai explained, and Emiko started to look confused again. Mirai motioned towards the mats left out from their last sparring practice. Emiko moved to stand on them obediently, but continued to look at Mirai curiously. Mirai followed, standing opposite of Emiko. "This is going to take tapping into your hidden power. It might come as a shock to your body." Mirai explained. Emiko made a face, scrunching up her nose. Since regaining her memories, she had remembered the very basics of her power that she previously had. Rarely did these powers have any use against vampires or humans. Before, Emiko had learned she had a limited control over the horsemen. She could freeze them in place, and incinerate them with the touch of a finger. This was, unfortunately, a skill she couldn't use on anything else. While here, she had used some of this power on vampires, but only when she was not in control of herself. She had no idea how to harness this power on her own.

"I don't know…" Emi trailed off, looking back at the demon apprehensively. Mirai didn't respond, and instead held out her hand. Emiko looked at her nervously, biting her lip. Finally, she placed her hand in Mirai's. Mirai took hold of Emiko's hand, turning her palm face-up. She ran her nail over the lines of Emiko's hand.

"You see the lines?" Mirai asked. Emiko nodded. "Imagine these lines running through every part of your body. These lines are pipelines, filled with endless power just waiting to be tapped into. Unfortunately, tapping into these reserves of power is difficult, especially when you weren't born with the power. Fortunately, what I'm about to teach you requires less tap and more flow." She explained. Emiko gave her a strange look.

"Are you sure you're not making a sex joke?" She asked dubiously. Mirai couldn't help; she whacked the back of Emiko's head. Emiko yelped, gripping hold of her head and taking a step away from Mirai. "What was that for?" She demanded.

"For being an idiot." Mirai retorted. "Listen. It's the same with every person, human or otherwise. Yours is just different because it contains magic. Now, look at your palm again." Mirai ordered. Emiko scowled but did as she was instructed. Mirai placed her finger in the center of Emiko's palm. "This spot is where one of these tubes of energy end. It's the easiest place to release the power. All you need is a tiny crack in its outer layer to reach the power inside."

"How do I do that?" Now, Emiko was paying attention. Mirai smirked.

"Something you're not good at." Emiko blinked. Mirai's smirk grew. "Focus." Emiko scowled in annoyance, narrowing her eyes at Mirai. She could too focus! When she wanted too… Sometimes… "Close your eyes." Mirai ordered. Begrudgingly, Emiko did as she said. "Imagine the gentle motions of water." Emiko scrunched up her brows; she still wasn't completely convinced Mirai was messing with her, but she didn't feel like questioning her and getting hit again. So, Emiko thought about the gentle waves of the ocean. The pulling and pushing of the tide late at night, the smell of the salt in the air, her feet digging into the sand… Emiko's eyes snapped open wide.

"I totally forgot!" Emiko screamed, turning and bolting towards the door.

"Emiko!" Mirai called, but it was no use. Emiko was out the door and racing down the hall at top speed. "Damn idiot." Mirai cursed.

…

Emiko arrived at Sanguinem in record time. She moved through the streets at a quick pace, ignoring the curious looks sent her way. Finally, she made her way to Krul's mansion. She moved to open the door, but the doorknob turned at the last minute. Surprised, Emiko took a step back. Out walked a tall youthful man, but one look at his face made Emiko realize how ancient he was. He was handsome, with olive skin and light hair. He had the normal red eyes, pointed ears, and fangs of a vampire, but his eyes spoke volumes to Emiko. They were cold and apathetic, but they narrowed at the sight of her. Emiko cocked her head to the side curiously. Despite the ancient power radiating off of him, she didn't feel frightened of him. Instead, she felt like she knew him.

"Krul's human." He said smoothly, calmly. When most vampires referred to Emiko, they spoke with a tinge of disgust in their voice, as if she were revolting. Instead, he was merely making a statement. Emiko hummed in thought. She'd never had that response before, not even from Krul, who referred to her with disdain at their first meeting.

"Emiko." She corrected politely. "You are?" She asked. He didn't speak for the longest time, and merely continued to stare at her with an almost perplexed look; like she was an equation he just couldn't quite solve.

"Urd Geales." He said simply. Emiko pursed her lips, fighting a smile. Finally, she couldn't help her giggle.

"Why do all vampires have such weird names?" She spoke, mostly to herself. His gaze softened slightly at her question, carrying the same amused glint she got from most vampires.

"Most of us are very old." He answered her, his voice lighter than before. She giggled again. She liked this vampire.

"You're pretty powerful, aren't you? Which country do you rule?" Urd only continued to look more amused.

"Are you aware that you smell like the thirteenth Progenitor, Crowley Eusford?" He asked lightly, speaking as if he already knew the answer. Emiko froze in place, the blood rushing to her cheeks as humiliation began to set in.

"Dammit," Emiko whined, smacking her forehead. "I took a shower, I don't understand! Krul is gonna kill me! Maybe literally! Well, no, not literally. She adores me. But, still! Why does this happen to me? Do you know how many times I've almost died in the past year?" Emiko stopped abruptly, staring at Urd as if she expected an answer. A split second later, she was ranting again. "I don't know either, it's that many times! It's ridiculous! And now, I just want to be able to walk around without everyone knowing i've done the dirty dammit! Fucking vampires senses, honestly!" She huffed, throwing her hands up in exasperation. All the while, Urd merely watched, his lips hiding the slightest of tilts.

"Urd Geales, is my pet bothering you?" Emiko froze up at the sound of Krul's cool tone.

Uh oh.

Emiko glanced behind Urd, finding the short vampire queen staring daggers at Emiko. It became clear to Emiko at that moment that perhaps she shouldn't start conversations with powerful vampires she didn't know. Urd's expression turned cold once more at the sound of Krul's voice.

"Not at all," He said coolly, not removing his eyes from Emiko. The look he was giving off made Emiko step back. She knew the darker energy wasn't aimed at her, but it was still frightening. He immediately noticed Emiko's sudden trepidation, and softened his gaze. "I find her charming." Emiko couldn't help but grin smugly. Finally, a progenitor with some sense. Krul didn't seem to feel the same. Her scowl deepened, and she looked at Emiko as if the very apocalypse was her fault.

"She is." Krul agreed coldly. Emiko looked between the two terrifying progenitors, unsure if she should run. Getting in the middle of a vampire fight? Not the best idea, even she knew that. Emiko bounced from foot to foot, waiting for the fight to break. The silence became stifling, and finally Emiko had to speak up.

"I'm also funny," She blurted out. More silence followed. Emiko wrung her hands, her bounding growing more erratic. "And sassy. I'm a prodigy at fighting and fashion and music and-"

"Emi." Krul spoke calmly, but the tinge of annoyance in her voice did not go unnoticed to Urd or Emiko. "Is there a point you were getting to?" She asked impatiently. Emiko smacked her lips nervously. She glanced between Urd and Krul several times. Finally, she decided honesty might be her best option.

"You're both just kind of scary. You know I babble when I'm nervous. Honestly, if you two are going to fight can I just hide first?" Somehow, that seemed to be the right thing to say. The dark aura surrounding both of them seemed to relax. Krul sighed in exasperation, whereas Urd regained that amused quirk in his lips. Urd glanced back at Krul.

"I need to return to Russia, but I believe I will visit again soon." He turned to glance back at Emiko. He took a few steps forward, stopping directly in front of the girl. He reached out a gloved hand, picking up a piece of her hair and wrapping it around a finger. He gave the hair a thoughtful look. Emiko could only stand and stare, holding her breath. She hadn't expected that from Urd, and though she liked him, it still set her on edge. He flicked his gaze up to hers, and gave her the faintest of smiles. "It was nice to meet you, Emiko. Perhaps next time I return you will show me your musical abilities?" He asked. Emiko gave a nervous smile, and nodded. In truth, Emiko had no interest in playing any instruments, but she wasn't about to refuse the king of Russia. Even she wasn't that stupid. He let go of her hair and walked passed her, leaving Krul's manor without another word.

Emiko could feel the dark power of Krul's glare. Slowly, Emiko turned to face the tiny queen's wrath. Krul's eyes were narrowed to slits, the impatient tapping of her foot setting Emiko even further on edge. Emiko laughed, running a nervous hand through her hair. "So, i'm just going to take this moment to remind you that I am much more useful alive." Her teasing words seemed to have no effect, Kruls' face remaining unchanged. Emiko laughed again, and then turned and ran. Emiko didn't get three steps, before she was tackled to the ground. She fell to the harsh stone with a cry, the surprisingly heavy vampire queen landing on top of her. The air burst out of Emiko's lungs, leaving her gasping for breath.

"Let me get this straight," Krul said above, sounding surprisingly calm. "You insult the ninth progenitor, sleep with Crowley, and then somehow manage to also gain the interest of another dangerous enemy. Is that correct?" There was a hum to Krul's voice that could turn to a growl in seconds. Emi fought for air, finally regaining the ability to speak. She took a few more seconds to respond.

"Yep, that's about right." She realized the second she spoke that she should've just kept quiet. Krul was silent for several long minutes, all the while sitting on top of Emiko.

"How was it?" The queen asked nonchalantly. Emiko turned red, and not from lack of oxygen.

"Why does everyone keep asking that?" She cried out angrily, wriggling to get free of Krul. Krul didn't let up, and instead smacked the back of Emiko's head as a warning. Emiko stopped moving.

"Why did you come all the way here?" Krul asked, sounding bored now. Emiko pouted. She didn't like her questions being ignored, but she would let it go for now, considering she was currently being sat on by a dangerous vampire queen. Also, Emiko's intentions for running all the way to Sanguinem suddenly returned to her.

"I want to go on a vacation!" She chirped, twisting her head around to look up at Krul. Krul stared back down at the human girl with a mixture of surprise and contempt. Emiko pouted instantly at the look. "I deserve it," She insisted. , giving Krul a stubborn look. "I almost died not too long ago, and you made me deal with Svetlame." Krul continued to give a look that made Emiko think she was going to refuse.

"Who all will go on this vacation?" Krul asked instead, surprising her. Emiko perked up instantly.

"Well Crowley, Chess, and Horn, obviously. Mika should come too, and Lacus and Rene! Mirai as well!" The blonde chirped, counting off on her fingers the entire group. Unbeknownst to Emiko, Krul's frown deepened. Krul wasn't necessarily disinclined to give Emiko a vacation, she just didn't like the idea of Emiko going far. Ferid's recently been dropping subtle threats against her, and Emiko was her trump card. As much as it burned Krul, she had a sneaking suspicion that Ferid had a good idea of what Emiko could be. The fortunate side was he would be much less likely to pull anything while Krul had Emiko with her.

There was the bond between Emiko and Crowley, though. Krul hadn't believed the two would actually get involved, though she had hoped. She was surprised with how drawn they were to each other. Sure, Krul knew Crowley would be interested in Emiko, but she didn't believe he'd develop _feelings_ for her. Except, he had, and Emiko had developed feelings too. Not ideal, but there was nothing to be done now but hope things would turn out in her favor. This little vacation could bring them closer, wrap Crowley further around Emiko's finger.

Krul sighed, standing up off of the smothered girl. Emiko took a deep breath of air, refilling her deprived lungs. She sat up, looking up at Krul with pleading eyes. Krul rolled her eyes, and then begrudgingly nodded. She would have to take a risk, if things were going to fall in her favor.

"Fine. Set up the vacation in two weeks time. I want your plan by tomorrow."

Emiko squealed in joy.

 **...**

 **Thanks for reading! Please review, follow, and favorite! Ask questions, give constructive criticism, or just say hi!**

 **Fun fact:**

 **Emiko is never yelled at, which is one of the reasons she cries when people do yell at her. This is a similarity between me and Emiko. We could be having a very heated argument, but the second someones raises their voice, I get teary-eyed. Yes, it is very annoying.**


	27. Chapter 27

**Hey guys! Sorry this took so long, and is so short, but I didn't want to make you wait any longer for this chapter. I think I'm going to re-watch the show, get my inspiration back, and see if that will maybe help me write. Anyways, hopefully, next chapter won't feel like pulling out teeth. Please enjoy my pain!**

It was hard to plan a vacation, when a sexy red-headed vampire couldn't keep his hands to himself. It was even harder when you didn't want him to. It was like the floodgates had opened; they'd finally given into temptation, and now they couldn't get enough of each other. The second Emiko had returned to inform Crowley of their upcoming vacation, he'd gotten this devilish little smug smirk on his face. At first, Emiko had been confused. She began to understand the longer they spent time together.

See, it had started out as a much more innocent request; to come sit with him. Simple enough, Emiko figured, and she thought it was the kind of thing 'couples' did. Besides, it wasn't like it was the first time. So, she approached and took a seat on his lap. He immediately pulled her closer so she was nuzzled up against him, and secured her in place with his arm draped lazily across her waist. Emiko had blushed, but liked the intimacy. Again; she was comfortable with him. And he smelled good.

Crowley continued to work while Emiko began to wonder what shampoo he used. She couldn't quite place it, but she knew it was nice. It was kind of like myrrh and lavender, mixed with the smell of the forest after a rainstorm. She was just beginning to wonder if all vampires smelled that good, when his hand tightened around her waist. It startled her out of her thoughts, but she didn't find it strange. She began to let her thoughts wander again, but she got bored quickly. Sitting and stuff was nice and all, but she got bored easily. She hummed to herself, and then leaned her head back on his shoulder. She stared up at him with wide blue eyes, until he glanced down at her.

"Are we gonna talk about the vacation?" She asked. He raised an eyebrow.

"I thought you had everything sorted out?" He asked calmly, though that devilish look had returned. She shrugged, dismissing the look instantly.

"Well we're going to Yonaha Maehama beach on Miyako island, but I don't really have all the details. Like, how long are we staying, is there a house for us to stay in, what will I eat, etc., that sort of stuff. Wha-" Emiko cut off suddenly. Crowley had begun to trace gentle patterns across the skin of her bare thigh. The feeling wasn't really sensual in nature, but it was hypnotizing, and it set butterflies off in her stomach. She lost her train of thought and closed her eyes, enjoying the soft draw over her skin. He continued on like that for a while, neither one of them saying anything.

Quite suddenly, the soft tracing became a pleasurable kneading of her flesh. Emiko gave a sound that was a mix between a whine and a purr. She wasn't coherent enough to wonder just where that noise came from, but she did notice Crowley's hold on her become tighter. The hand that wasn't massaging her thigh began to creep up from her waist and cupped her breast. Suddenly, Emiko realized why he looked so devilish.

The vacation could wait.

Then, there was the soreness. See, Emiko woke up that morning feeling perfectly fine-a sure sign of her freaky angel healing powers. Their second go in the shower left Emiko feeling a little sore, but nothing too bad. Now, well, now she definitely ached. She considered it a pleasant ache-but an ache nonetheless. Afterwards she'd dozed off on top of Crowley, and later woke up in her room.

Emiko was tempted to just stay in bed and wait for her super healing to kick in, but her stomach protested. She pulled herself up out of bed and straightened her clothes and hair, and then set out towards the kitchen. She continued to get weird looks from the staff as she walked by, and she knew very well why. After All, they are vampires and these walls aren't soundproof.

She ignored them and hurried to the kitchen. Her eyes searched the fridge with a hungry gaze. Since moving into Nagoya, they started to keep more human food on stock. Still none of the good stuff like potato chips or twinkies, but enough to keep her satisfied. She grabbed the necessities to make a BLT and then got to work. She plopped herself down atop the counter and began to stuff her face. She began to think once again about the vacation, a small smile crossing her lips. The beach would be a wonderful change from her daily life. Not that she didn't enjoy her life; it had certainly been worse in the past. Now, she had food, sanctuary, friends, even…

It felt weird to think of Crowley like a boyfriend, or even worse, a lover. Even the thought of those terms had her turning red. Besides, not that much about their relationship had changed. Sure, they were sleeping together now, and more intimate, but they still treated each the same.

Sort of.

They weren't as hostile either. Or, so it seemed. Technically, it was kind of too early to tell what the changes in their relationship were. It hadn't even been twenty-four hours since they first had sex. Should she be worried about their relationship change? Should she act differently? Would her relationship with others change?

"My head is going to explode." Emiko groaned to herself, setting down her half-eaten BLT. She should really stop over-thinking, but she found she couldn't help it. She was having a hard time going with the flow this time. Perhaps she cared too much about the outcome?

"Don't worry livestock, if it hasn't exploded from stupidity yet, I doubt it will now." Emiko groaned again. She smacked her hands into her face, hoping that if perhaps she didn't look at her, she would just disappear. "Nothing to say, you little whore?" Emiko scowled as she dragged her hands back down her face. She turned towards the doorway to acknowledge the ninth progenitor from Germany.

Honestly, Emiko had forgotten she was even here. She was far too busy enjoying her victory to even remember who she had defeated. Now, Svetlana stood before her in a skin-tight plum colored dress, her perfectly manicured hand placed on her hip. She sneered openly at Emiko, tapping her foot against the ground impatiently. Emiko groaned again.

"What do you want now?" Emiko huffed. Svetlana walked further into the room, stopping at the opposite end of the counters.

"A few things, actually. The first is to warn you." She said calmly. Emiko's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion at her words.

"Are you going to threaten me? Cause I may not be armed, but Crowley would definitely rip your throat out if Krul didn't get to you first." Svetlana rolled her eyes in response.

"Darling, I'm nearly a thousand years old-I've got better things to do than threaten a stupid teenage girl." Svetlana scoffed, but there was a seriousness to her tone that warned Emiko she should be paying attention. The two women locked eyes. "This was a test, Emiko."

"From who? Lest Karr?" She asked fervently, ignoring that Svetlana called her by name. Svetlana nodded.

"He's curious about you. He wants to know if you're a threat." She asked. Emiko frowned. She was, technically, a threat. Luckily, very few people knew that, and that did not include Lest Karr. What was going on? Why was Svetlana telling her this?

"Why would I be a threat?" Emiko miraculously managed to keep her voice even, though she suspected Svetlana saw through her anyway.

"We can pretend, if you'd like." The progenitor woman offered coolly. "I'll act like I don't know you're not a normal human. There's only one person I'll be telling the truth too, and lucky for you that's not Lest Karr." Now, Emiko was really confused. Svetlana must've noticed, because she sighed in annoyance. "It's...complicated. I'm a noble of Lest Karr's, but my loyalty does not belong to him. As far as Lest Karr will know, you're a regular, annoying human girl who has somehow managed to gain the affections of the thirteenth progenitor and his aides." Emiko stared at Svetlana, completely shocked and taken aback by what she said. Was she trying to help her?

"I...I'm confused." Emiko admitted. Svetlana scoffed.

"That doesn't surprise me. Here's all you need to know, livestock; you have a long, complicated history. My...boss is interested in keeping you safe, but you're a magnet for danger. So, here's some advice from one girl to another; keep your mouth shut, don't tell anyone, anything, and most importantly, be prepared to drop everything and run." Svetlana approached again until she stood directly in front of Emiko. "To be honest, I'm actually impressed with your audacity. Unfortunately, it comes from a place of ignorance. Try to be a little more cautious. There's going to come a day when you'll either have to protect yourself, or die."

And with those cheerful last words, Svetlana left, leaving Emiko with more questions than answers.

…

Emiko spent the entirety of the next day in training. She had the rare honor of Chess and Horn being her sparring partners, though it was more like torture. There was a reason Emiko didn't spar with those two; they were brutal. Worse than Crowley, or even Mirai, they took cheap shot after cheap shot. Their real intent was not to teach; they just liked knocking Emiko on her ass. As much as they liked the spunky human, it did not escape them how much false bravado she had.

In a way, beating her in a fight was the lesson. It reminded Emiko of their strength, and forced her to rethink her strategies, which she desperately needed to do. Crowley was a great teacher, but he let Emiko get away with one flaw; she fought head-on. The girl didn't just lack tact when speaking.

The fight was brought to its merciless end when Mirai interrupted. The demon had a stern look in her eyes that reminded Emiko of their previous conversation. Chess and Horn left to speak with Lord Crowley, and Emiko and Mirai took a seat on the mats.

Mirai stared Emiko down coldly, arms crossed and shoulders stiff. She was clearly irritated with the blonde, though that wasn't anything new. Emiko chewed her lip, glancing between Mirai and her nails. She really needed a manicure, but she didn't think Mirai would let her escape for a spa day.

Damn.

"Are you ready to focus now?" The demon finally asked. Emiko nodded robotically in response. Mirai grabbed hold of Emiko's hand, holding it palm up and pointing once again at the center point in her palm. "Good. Now remember what I said yesterday? All you need to do is release the smallest amount of power."

Easier said than done, as they were both beginning to figure out. Emiko focused on her palm with a look of severe concentration. Mirai thought she might hemorrhage. After two hours of painful silence, they finally had to call it quits. It occurred to Mirai that perhaps Emiko just wasn't ready for that kind of power, no matter how little of it she accessed. After All, the power only manifested in threatening situations.

As frustrating as it was, Mirai knew she had to be patient. She'd spent enough time sharing the same body as Emiko to know how her mind works. She has a lot of dark corners in her mind, places she refuses to visit or even acknowledge. As daunting as they probably were for Emiko to visit, well...the saying goes 'to conquer your demons you must first face them.' Mirai had a feeling Emiko wasn't gaining any power until she faced her demons.

Herself aside, of course.

…

Emiko sat on the floor, hunched over a spread of brochures, all showcasing Maehama beach. After the blonde discovered her no one was going to help her plan, Emiko had gone out into the city and found a bunch of those cashier stands where they kept brochures for vacation spots. Maehama beach was so popular, she had no problem finding some for it. She'd barely had twenty minutes to start planning, when Lucal Wesker rudely barged in. He pranced into the library like it was his. He stopped when he saw Emiko, instantly narrowing his eyes on the girl. His permanent scowl became a glare.

"Sorry Whiskers, I don't have time for you today." Emiko only barely managed to dodge the stab of his sword a second after she spoke. She dodge rolled and stood to her feet, grinning playfully at the progenitor. "As much fun as stomping on your ego is, I really don't have time." She continued. Lucal's look darkened even further.

"Unfortunately, Svetlana was somehow defeated by you, swine." Emiko's eye twitched at the insult, but didn't move to the provocation. "How?" He asked in a sneer. Emiko watched him for a moment, cocking her head to the side. Was he really asking her how?

"Honestly? I cheated." She shrugged as if that made it okay. Lucal didn't look impressed with her answer though.

"I heard you dropped your dress in the middle of dinner like a harlot." He snapped. Emiko had to take a deep, steadying breath. As so many have pointed out to Emiko lately, she can no longer recklessly go and pick fights with powerful vampires anymore.

"Yep." Emiko replied brazenly, clucking her tongue. Lucal looked appalled she'd actually admitted to such a thing, let alone done it, but she didn't quit there. "I also had sex with Crowley. But just so you know, I'm not a harlot, and not only because that term is way outdated. In fact, I was a virgin before last night." Lucal looked further disturbed, as if Emiko had just told him she was a cannibal or something.

"A noble vampire actually lowered himself to sleeping with the livestock?" He was speaking more to himself than to her, but it still pissed her off. He must've really wanted a fight. Unfortunately, she couldn't give him one. Krul would definitely take away her vacation if she picked _another_ fight.

"Listen Whiskers-"

"Wesker." He said with a growl. Emiko rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. There is literally no point for you to be here, okay? And honestly, your lack of eyebrows is creeping me out."

It occurred to Emiko seconds before he attack, that maybe Krul was right in learning how to keep her mouth shut.

Oh well. She took a fighting stance.

 **Fun fact:**

 **Emiko's favorite types of literature (or movies, etc.,) are Old West and FairyTale. This is actually a metaphor for how Emiko views the world, or how she wishes the world was. Interpret that how you will.**

 **Please review, favorite, and follow!**


	28. Chapter 28

**Hey guys! Sorry for the month long wait, but hey, it's not as bad as last time! Anyway, this was another agonizing chapter to get through. I suspect the one after it will also be painful. That's just where the story is right now. It's kind of 'off season', where things are kind of okay. It's the lead up to the main stuff for the second Arc. Please endure with me and we'll get through this together!**

 **Tsuki-Yay, that makes me so happy! Thank you so much for reading and enjoying! You've really made me so happy! :) I hope you continue to enjoy the coming chapters, and please let me know what you think! :D :D :D 3**

 **Revanchist21-Thank you! Your support means a lot! I'll try to keep writing something you enjoy! :D :D 3**

 **Foxy Vixin-Thank you! I'm glad you enjoy it! Yeah, hopefully I can get more of my inspiration back! It's just hard cause of what I mentioned above in my author's note, but hopefully it will get better soon! :D :D 3**

 **...**

"I heard you're leaving on vacation." Ferid practically danced into Crowley's office, unannounced and uninvited. Crowley sat behind his desk, feet propped up on the edge. His eyes scanned over the current reports, not even acknowledging the arrival of the Seventh progenitor.

"Emi wants to go to the beach." He answered simply. Ferid pouted at Crowley's lack of attention, but quickly recovered. He approached his desk, stopping right in front of him.

"And I wasn't invited. How rude." Ferid teased playfully. That finally got a response from Crowley, glancing up at Ferid with a small smirk.

"She's not as fond of you as she used to be." He answered, though they both already knew that. Ferid shrugged, a gleam in his eyes.

"It appears we switched roles in that respect." Ferid hinted, his smile widening. Crowley hummed in thought, and then mirrored Ferid's earlier shrug. He set the reports down, finally giving Ferid his full attention.

"What brings you here, Ferid?" The question was light and easy, but they both heard the underlying suspicion. Crowley and Ferid got along splendidly, but Ferid's...cruel capricious nature did not escape Crowley's notice. Usually, he found it amusing, but there was a certain human Crowley had grown quite fond of that Ferid enjoyed teasing.

"Curiosity." The silver-tongued vampire answered.

"About Emiko." Crowley finished. Ferid gave a shrug. Crowley hummed again to himself. Ferid wanted knowledge that could potentially be used as a weakness. However, Crowley couldn't lie either, as that also put Emiko at risk. He would have to be honest with the schemer, so that he got his point across.

"Well, I do love her, if that's what you were wondering." One didn't usually admit such a thing in such a casual tone, but this was Crowley. He wasn't one to let such a revelation cause commotion.

"Obviously." Ferid scoffed. "Perhaps the only person who doesn't know this is Emiko."

"She definitely doesn't know." Crowley agreed. "I think I'll have to spell it out for her one day." He continued thoughtfully. Ferid laughed, and Crowley caught his eye. "Since this is so obvious to you though, you understand she's off limits?" There demeanors and tones did not change in the slightest, but the air in the room became a little more serious. The pleasant smile on Crowley's face did not hide the clear threat he'd just given.

"I wouldn't dream of hurting a hair on her head." Ferid exaggerated dramatically, looking offended by the mere notion. Crowley rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair and giving Ferid a scrutinizing look.

"Good, because you know, I like her a lot more than I like you." Crowley picked up the reports again, beginning to look over them again. Ferid pouted.

"After All these centuries? I'm hurt." Crowley let out a scoff of laughter.

"Eight centuries is a long time to be friends with a psychopath. Maybe it is time for a change." Crowley responded with his own taunting.

"Oh? From a psychopath to an angel? That's quite the jump." Ferid mocked, finally playing his trump card. Crowley tensed, but his bored expression didn't change. He wouldn't give Ferid the satisfaction.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised you figured that out." He murmured. "How did you find out?" He asked.

"I just happened upon it by accident." Ferid answered honestly.

"Hmm...well, it doesn't really change anything." That was a lie, and they both knew it. Crowley knew Ferid would be using this to his advantage, but he didn't know how. Unfortunately, he would just have to wait and find out. Ferid opened his mouth to respond, when Chess tumbled into the room, a wide and concerned look on her face. Crowley sighed.

"What did she do?"

…

Emiko was losing. Badly. She managed to dodge Wesker's more lethal attacks, but he was far too fast for her and she had no weapons to speak of. She was mostly human now, with the separation from Mirai, and though she could hold her own in a fight, even with dangerous vampire progenitors, she didn't have the speed, strength, or stamina to do it without a weapon.

Why did she get herself into these types of situations?

Emiko dodged right, barely avoiding a punch aimed for her chin. She was too slow to dodge his follow-up attack though, and a brutal kick to the stomach threw her back into the wall. The impact into the wall forced the material to start to crack beneath her. Searing pain erupted from her back and shoulders, but Emiko couldn't even a force out a sound of pain. Instead, she could barely breathe, the impact forcing the breath right from her lungs. When she did regain air, she had a split second to breathe in deeply before she started to cough. The taste of copper filled her mouth, and began to dribble down her chin. She winced, but still couldn't make a sound of pain, instead her lungs being used to either cough or gasp for air.

Emiko's legs could no longer hold her up, and she slid down the wall. Lucal watched her from the across the room, eyes narrowed to slits. He looked as if he half suspected this was a trick, but slowly, he began to smirk. His eyes zeroed in on the blood now dripping down her face.

"You seem weaker than before." He noted, approaching her at a leisurely pace. He was taunting her, like a predator does its prey. Emiko certainly felt like prey at that moment, with the way he was staring at her. "Not that it matters. You were livestock then, and you're livestock now." He sneered. Emiko didn't have the ability to respond.

He kneeled down beside her, watching her for several, silent seconds. He seemed to be deciding on something, of what Emiko couldn't decipher.

"I suppose I can understand the allure." He mussed, pushing several stray strands of golden hair behind her ear. "You are fairly pretty for a human and you smell divine. Seeing you now, all twisted in pain, well, you're absolutely ravishing." He bared his teeth at her in a terrifying grin. Emiko shivered. Fear coursed through her veins, but she still couldn't speak. Her lungs were crying out, and with the way she couldn't catch her breath, she suspected one of them had been punctured. He moved his hand from her hair to her chin, caressing it between sharp nails. It was a tender touch, but it made Emiko shiver in revulsion. "Don't be mistaken, I am going to kill you slowly for your behavior, but I can't deny myself a taste."

Emiko wished she could struggle. Wished she could fight back, kill him, do anything to stop his descent to her neck. Sadly, she was painfully human, and she certainly felt that way now. He gripped her chin tightly between two fingers, pushing her head to the side. He mercilessly drove his fangs into her carotid artery. This did elicit a sound from Emiko-she cried out in pain.

It burned. The pain she felt from Lucal drinking her blood was far more extreme than the dull pain she received whenever Crowley bit her. What was worse was the sound of him drinking her blood. He drank in greedy gulps, and Emiko wished her blood would turn to fire in his throat and burn him away until there was nothing left. The sound sent shivers of disgust through her veins, and she feebly tried to fight back. It was pathetic, and he seemed to think so as well. He grinned against her neck and forced her arms into a painful grip in his free hand. She was stuck. Painfully and horrifically stuck.

As time went on, Emiko started to panic. Lucal said he wanted to kill her slowly, but he wasn't slowing in his assault on her neck. In fact, he was speeding up, taking longer and larger gulps of blood. Shadows were beginning to dart across her vision, and she wished she'd worked harder when Mirai had tried to teach her to use her power. Maybe she would be able to save herself then.

Then, miraculously he stopped. The air in the room had frozen. Through dazed eyes, Emiko caught a look over Lucal's shoulder. Through the pain, she managed a grin. "Enjoy hell, whiskers." She mumbled out sleepily. Perhaps she'd see him there.

She didn't get a chance to see what happened next. Her eyes closed, and everything faded away.

…

Emiko was getting real tired of waking up in a hospital room. In fact, if she never saw another hospital again, it would be too soon. The first thing she saw when she woke was Mirai's red eyes, glaring down at her. It seemed, the demon was not happy to see Emiko alive and well. Or, just alive.

She hurt like hell.

"Tell me, do you strive to be an idiot, or does it just come naturally to you?" Mirai's words dripped her lips like venom, but Emiko couldn't blame her; after what happened, she even felt like an idiot. A true and terrible idiot. Someone should make her wear a dunce hat, and smack her in the face anytime she tried to take it off.

"I would like to know the same." Apparently, there was someone else in the room. Said someone was just as terrifying and just as angry as Mirai. The pink haired vampire queen stood at the edge of the room, next to an open door leading out into the halls. She wore a similar expression to Mirai's, though she had small fangs peeking out, reminding Emiko of the bite she'd suffered at Lucal's teeth.

Emiko forced herself to disregard the memory for now. She carefully sat up, clutching at her aching ribs. She winced as she did so, but didn't stop until she sat up all the way. She looked between the two angry females before her. Her first instinct was to run and hide, but she didn't think she'd get very far.

"I feel like that's a trick question." She muttered, her throat hoarse.

"Because it is." Mirai sneered. "The answer is both; you're naturally ridiculous and then ignore everyone's warnings and get yourself into danger. I wanted to beat you up myself when I heard." She growled. That was fair. Emiko kind of wanted to hit herself upside the head a few times right now.

"You punctured a lung on a broken rib. You had internal bleeding but luckily for you, your body healed on its own, so the doctors didn't need to operate for that. They did have to go in and fix your lung and realign your rib though. That wasn't what almost killed you though." Krul's voice was blunt, but filled with a growing darkness. She was pissed. She approached the bed, stopping directly beside Emiko. Her eyes practically glowed with rage. "What almost killed you is the feeding frenzy Wesker went on once he'd had a taste of your blood." Emiko reconsidered her previous idea of running. It might be less painful than facing Krul. Unfortunately, she was blocked on both sides.

There was no escape.

"Does this mean I can't go on Vacation?" For some reason, unbeknownst to Emiko, this was what popped out of her mouth. Not 'sorry', or 'forgive me', or even 'i'm an idiot'. No, of course not. Her brain couldn't function well enough to say what she was actually thinking. Instead she had to spout out something else stupid, that was sure to piss the two dangerous women off more.

Luckily, she was saved from imminent doom by Crowley. He strolled in with a casual smile on his face, smile widening slightly when he spotted Emiko awake. He crossed the room, taking a seat on the left side of her bed. "How are you feeling?" He asked pleasantly. Emiko shuffled uneasily.

Should she be afraid? Crowley didn't really _have_ a temper, but she expected him to have a much stronger reaction than _this_. Did he just not care? The thought made Emiko uncomfortable, but she tried not to show it.

"Bad." Emiko didn't feel like cracking jokes or being witty. Crowley hummed in response, and looked to Mirai and Krul.

"I'd expect so. You did let that vermin bite you." His voice didn't so much as change octaves in the slightest, but warning bells rang in Emiko's head.

 _Angry. Very, very angry. Tread carefully._

"I'll come back to yell at you later." Mirai grumbled in annoyance, stalking out of the room without another word. Krul soon followed after with a stern glare thrown back at Emiko. The two of them were left alone. Silence followed. Emiko cleared her throat.

"You're mad." She stated. Crowley looked over at her, meeting her gaze. He didn't look mad, but looks could be deceiving, especially where he was concerned.

"Yeah." Again, he spoke casually. "I am. But I found a positive." He answered. That surprised her. She cocked her head to the side.

"A positive?" She echoed questioningly. He nodded.

"Well, if you ever endanger yourself like that again, I have permission from the queen to turn you." Emiko froze, her blood running cold, but Crowley continued. "Not that I needed her permission. In fact, I almost did it this time. She managed to convince me not to, on the account that I do like my head attached to my shoulders." He answered calmly. He held her gaze, his expression becoming slightly more serious. He leaned in closer, so that they were barely inches apart. "Do not ever let yourself get bitten by someone I cannot kill." Emiko's eyes widened, her lip beginning to tremble.

"He's not dead?" She whispered, fear beginning to run it's course through her again. He must've recognized her fear instantly, because he pulled back, staring at her closely.

"Are you scared of him now?" He asked. Emiko couldn't help but nod. She was scared. He'd hurt her, violated her, and made her feel helpless. It had been so long since Emiko had felt helpless to anyone. The last time...was the doctor. Emiko started to shiver.

"It...burned. Really bad. It never hurt like that when you bit me." She mumbled. The ice in the air cooled a little, and he scooted a little closer to her.

"He is being reprimanded, but he'll be staying in Nagoya. Unfortunately it's illegal for me to kill a fellow progenitor." He still sounded half tempted to kill him anyway, but Emiko didn't say anything else on the matter. Instead, she crawled out from beneath the covers-wincing the entire time-and moved so she rested up against him.

"Cuddle," She mumbled childishly. Crowley was quiet for a split second before responding.

"Cuddle?" He asked, spitting out the word as if it were revolting.

"Cuddle." She confirmed. "Or will it hurt your big, bad vampire pride?" She threw out as incentive. From the rumble of his chest, she didn't think it really worked. Surprising her though, he lied back, gently and carefully pulling her with him so she was rested against his chest. He pulled the blanket up over her chilled form.

"I'm pretty sure my 'vampire' pride won't be affected. Go back to sleep. Don't you humans heal faster while sleeping anyway?" He asked. Emiko snuggled up against him, and nodded.

"Yeah, we do." She murmured sleepily. "We also heal faster when our angry demon friends can't get ahold of us." She hinted none too subtly.

"If Mirai comes back you're on your own. She is a ball of fury even the Queen can't handle." He muttered, but she was already falling back into a deep sleep.

…

"This one's cute!" Chess sang, picking up a two piece swimsuit and showing it off to Emiko. It was a cute swimsuit, and it was blue, which looked great on her. It was fairly revealing, as most bikini's are, but had sheer light blue material on the seams at the bottom of the top that hung about two inches below, making it more modest.

Emiko should have felt excited about it. Instead, she felt mostly numb. Sure, she thought the suit was adorable, but she didn't _feel_ a single thing. She wasn't even excited about the beach anymore.

After the fight with Lucal, and getting out of the hospital, she'd been fine. A little wary of returning to Nagoya where he was stationed, but Krul had promised her he was instructed to keep away from her. The first few days there had been no incidents at all. Emiko returned to being cheerful and optimistic. Mirai, Horn, and Chess all eventually forgave her for being an idiot.

That changed when she ran into Lucal only five days later. She hadn't meant to; she'd been at the city library again, doing some research on angels. Mirai had convinced her that the better she understood her powers, the safer she was. She'd been walking down the aisles when she saw him. Apparently, he was also a fan of the library.

The sight of him had shot an icy cold through her veins. It took her a second to realize she was afraid. His eyes had met hers, and memories of him drinking her blood, the sound and the pain, started to consume her.

He must've noticed the fear in her eyes. He smirked viciously at her, taking a step in her direction. "Do you finally understand how helpless you are, swine?" He sneered.

She should've snapped back at him. She should've threatened him for calling her a swine. She should've fought him. She did none of those things. Instead, she ran away. Adrenaline coursed through her, causing the natural fight or flight response, but this time she didn't have the confidence needed to fight. Fear overwhelmed her, reminding her of how powerless she had felt at that moment.

She ran all of the way back to the city hall building. She found her way into Crowley's room, and hid under the covers. Crowley didn't find her until that night, still huddling. When he pulled the blankets back, he'd been greeted with a frightened and shivering Emiko. He realized what was wrong with her without a single word being spoken between the two of them.

Once the others realized, it was decided that perhaps a vacation was needed. So now, here they were, standing in an abandoned shopping mall, shopping for swimsuits. Tomorrow, they left to go to Mahama beach. Krul had authorized a week of vacation, but only if some city guards accompanied them. Krul claimed it was because she had heard reports of humans on the island, but Emiko thought it was just because she wanted Mika there to spy.

"Emi?" Horn asked softly. Emiko pulled from her thoughts immediately, looking up at her two vampire friends. It was strange for Emi, knowing she considered some vampires as friends. She'd never believed all vampires were bad, even in her days as a soldier, but she'd certainly never thought she'd be friends with any either. Now, she was surrounded by vampires, and she was sleeping with one.

"I'll take this one." Emi replied, putting the blue swimsuit in her bag. Chess and Horn said nothing else on the matter, and the three of them continued shopping. Emiko worked to keep her thoughts from making her depressed, instead focusing on trying to be excited for the vacation. Afterall, she'd been so excited before. Why would a little fear suck all the happiness out of her? It didn't seem fair.

Luckily, Chess and Horn were great shopping companions. Chess talked a million miles a minute, and Horn was great at picking out amazing items to wear. By the end, Emiko managed to feel a little bit happier. They returned to city hall with a couple of bags of items. Emiko said her farewells to them, and returned to her own room, finding Mirai reading on her bed.

"How was it?" She asked boredly. She didn't bother looking up from her book to greet her, her eyes still scanning over the words.

"Good." Emiko chirped, setting the bags down on the edge of the bed. She began pulling out her items, setting them aside for packing. She then pushed her second bag over to Mirai. "I got some stuff for you too." Mirai snorted in response, but set down her book anyway. She peeled the items out of the bag, surprised by the items. Most of the items were dark colors, still girly, but much more suited to the demoness. Mirai had expected Emiko to buy pinks and blues and yellows-the colors Emiko liked to wear-just to spite her.

"...Thanks." Emiko felt her jaw drop in shock. Mirai rolled her eyes, placing her hand beneath Emiko's chin and snapping her jaw back up. "Now I don't have to wear your bright, cheerful clothing. I can actually look like the demon I am." Emiko shrugged and continued to pack. After they finished packing, Emiko left, heading towards Crowley's room. The room was empty still, and she suspected he was still looking over reports or handing out orders.

It didn't bother Emi. He didn't really sleep all that often. Most vampires didn't. She just felt more comfortable in his room. Safer. Plus, when he did sleep, it was nice to wake up pressed together, warm and peaceful. Emiko rarely woke up peacefully, due to nightmares. She still had them when she slept in here, but they didn't occur as often as they used to. There were nights when she slept without waking until the morning shone in through the window.

Emi crawled underneath the covers, snuggling up until her head was almost covered by the blankets. Emiko was lulled off to sleep easily, and it seemed the universe had decided to bless her with one of those rare, dreamless, nights.

…

"Oh look! There's a surf shop!" Emiko called, racing out of the jeep and heading straight towards the buildings near the beach. Crowley grabbed her shoulder, making her run in place.

"House first." Emiko pouted, but stopped trying to escape. She turned around, grabbing her own bag of luggage out of the car. Most of the luggage belonged to Horn, Chess, Emiko, and Lacus. Mika had a bag of luggage in one hand (one of Emiko's pastel pink bags) and a key in the other. It was the key to a large beach house that Krul owned. The house wasn't far at all, being roughly eight hundred feet away from where they parked.

It was a fairly large structure, with lots of open design. The front of the house was actually a large porch with two sliding glass doors hiding the inside from view. Mika unlocked the doors and Emiko wasted no time in speeding inside. The front room was gorgeously decorated, with a light blue couch and cream colored chairs. The walls were the color of the ocean and natural light streamed in through various windows.

Traveling further in, Emiko found a small kitchen, a bathroom, and a hallway that lead down to the rest of the house. Down the hall she found several closed doors leading to master suites, each with a bathroom attached. At the last door in the hall, Emiko found her room. The room wasn't as large as the previous ones, but it had an open design with a back porch leading to a view of the ocean. The bed was large and covered by a tan comforter and red throw pillows for accent. The walls were cerulean and paintings of flowers and beaches hung on them. On the far right there was a door leading to a large bathroom with a marble flooring and sink. Finally, there was a fireplace across from the bed and a door leading to a large walk in closet.

"This one's mine! I called it!" Emi yelled, knowing they would hear her. She set down her bag atop the bed, unzipping it and beginning to pull out her shoes. She had tried to limit herself, so she only brought ten pairs, but that had still required a separate bag. She had just finished pulling out the pairs when Mika entered the room with a scowl on his face, dropping her large luggage on the floor.

"Here." He grumbled, and turned to leave. Emi barely paid him any mind until he muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'blood whore'. Now, Emiko had never heard the term before, she could only guess what it meant. She whirled around to face him.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" She asked, keeping her voice pleasant. Mika paused, and then turned to face her, a clear glare on his face.

"That you're a blood whore. It's a common term for vampires and humans alike who act as a vampire's blood source during sex." His voice was colder than the arctic, and he seemed intent on picking a fight with her.

Emiko didn't feel like fighting. She felt like swimming. And maybe having sex on the beach with Crowley.

"It felt good." Emiko responded with a shrug, though there was a bit of indignation to her tone. "Also, it's impolite to call someone a whore, Mika. Lucal said something similar, and it seriously wasn't nice." She pouted for a moment, and then walked over towards Mika. He still stood in the doorway, glaring icily at her. She stopped right in front of him, giving a sugary sweet smile. "Oh, and just so you know, I've earned this vacation. So if you want to be a little bitch and ruin it for me, I will force feed you my blood and then tie you to an anchor and drop you in the ocean where you will hunger and starve for the rest of your immortal life, and I won't even feel bad about it." Then she patted his cheek twice and forcefully shoved him out of the doorway.

She didn't need his negativity anyway. Or his labels. It may be the apocalypse, but last she knew, women had earned the right to vote and be treated with respect. She could sleep with whomever she felt like, and get kinky if she wanted, and he would still have no right to call her a blood whore.

Emiko shook off the negativity, straightened her dress, and got back to unpacking. Crowley soon found her, bag of his own in hand. He didn't bother unpacking though, and just tossed it on the floor beside the bed. He then fell back on the bed, relaxing his hands behind his head in a lazy disposition. Emi ignored him for the most part, focused on unpacking and containing her excitement. She wanted to finish unpacking quickly so she could go swimming.

She finished unpacking in record time, leaving out her swimsuit. She whirled around to face Crowley, crossing her arms. He continued to lie back on the bed, but looked up at her when he felt her gaze on him. He raised a brow in question. "I need to change." She told him. At first, there was no response. Then, slowly a grin started to curl upon his lips.

"So you're getting shy now?" His voice mirrored the human showing on his face. Emiko couldn't help but scowl.

"Okay. If I strip down right here, are you telling me that you aren't going to do that 'sexy eyes' thing and give me that 'come hither' smirk and I won't end up in bed the rest of the day?" As if on cue, his eyes lightened up at the idea. He met her gaze, making the same 'sexy eyes' look she specifically didn't want him to make. It was as if he were saying 'You look sexy, I look sexy, let's have sexy time.'

Emiko was down for sexy time. Just, not right now. Now, she wanted to go swimming. She sent Crowley a warning glare. "Stop that!" She ordered, scrunching up her nose in annoyance. "I am going swimming. In the ocean. Which I have not been to in years." She worked hard to keep her mind on track. She pointed a finger at him. "You are going to stop giving me bedroom eyes, and I am going to go change in the bathroom." She grabbed her swimsuit and stomped off into the bathroom with a steely resolve.

Once Emiko was finished changing into her swimsuit, she peaked her head outside the door, looking for Crowley. It wasn't that Crowley was pushy, it was that Emiko lacked restraint. She wasn't very good at denying her impulses, and she had a lot of them when it came to Crowley. She wasn't lying when she said all he had to do was give her that 'come hither' smirk and she'd walk towards him like a woman possessed.

Luckily, Crowley was nowhere to be seen. Maybe he went off to talk to Chess and Horn, or maybe he decided to check out the house. Whatever it was, if he wasn't here, he couldn't be tempting her. Emiko stepped out of the bathroom, and began to tiptoe her way out through the back porch of the room. Once free from the house, Emiko grinned and took off at a run. Her barefeet dug into the hot sand, but she couldn't find it in herself to care. It had been so long since she'd been so excited for something.

You're technically not supposed to swim alone, but that didn't stop Emiko as she dove into the water. The chill of the water shocked her system for split second. She quickly recovered though, adjusting to the cold and wading through the blue waves. The waves weren't bad at all, though it didn't really matter much to Emiko. She was a fairly good swimmer. She was pretty confident she wouldn't get swept away.

It wasn't long before Chess and Horn joined Emiko in the water. The three of them swam and talked in the water, and at one point Emiko was referee as the two had a contest to see which of them was faster. It was Chess.

Emiko soon got bored of just swimming. She headed to the surf shop, checking the door. Unsurprisingly, it was locked. However, the door jiggled on its hinges, and it was easy enough for Emiko to deliver a kick that forced the door open. She didn't stay long in the dusty and dirty shop, she grabbed a multi-colored board and headed back out towards the water.

Did Emiko know how to surf? No. Was she going to try anyway? Hell yes.

...

Emiko sucked at surfing. She had tried catching a wave for two hours to no avail. Past the hour mark, Chess and Horn had both stopped to sit on the beach and watch her fail. Emiko didn't really mind that much, considering the two had seen her embarass herself on a daily base. She drew the line when Lacus, Rene, and Mika came outside though. Her pride wouldn't be able to handle the mockery. Grudgingly, Emiko left the water for the day, carrying back the board and throwing it down on the sane.

"I'm hungry!" Emiko announced. On cue, her stomach rumbled. Chess, Horn, and herself decided to head inside the house then. Mika scowled at Emi as they walked passed, but Emiko didn't spare him a glance. Like she said, this was her vacation and she wasn't letting him ruin it. He could be bitter and sad if he wanted.

Once back at the beach house, Emiko got to making herself something to eat. Luckily, they'd brought supplies, so it wasn't difficult to find food. Weirdly, she didn't see Crowley for several hours after that either. Curiously, she sought out Horn to find out where he was.

"Oh, business. Those humans the Queen mentioned? Part of the Army, it seems." Hmm. Lame. Worse, it seemed he wouldn't be back for a while. Emiko returned to her room, changing into a pair of pajamas and lying down for sleep. She was exhausted after a full day of travelling and then swimming.

She closed her eyes, and the nightmares started.

…

 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Fun Fact: This chapter was just as painful as the last one to write, so I used music that reminded me of Emiko to help me write. This included Avril Lavigne's 'girlfriend' and 'rock n' roll', and a mixture of Kesha songs such as 'your love is my drug' and 'blow'. I know, I know, but they remind me of Emiko!**

 **Please favorite, follow, and review! Love you guys! 3 3 3**


	29. Chapter 29

**Guys...not only did I finish this chapter (that also gave me hell, thank you very much) but it's ten pages long! I know it's been a while, but I'm pretty proud I got this done and semi-like what I wrote. Anyway, I hope you enjoy and please see the bottom for review responses and final notes!**

Normally when Emiko had nightmares, they took her to somewhere she didn't recognize or had never been before. This time was different. Emiko found herself in one of the JIDA training grounds. This particular one she had only been to once, because it was for the elite of the elite. The room was mostly empty, most of the lights turned off. She could hear a whispered conversation though, in the corner of the room. Curiously, Emiko walked towards the whispers.

Two men stood holding a hurried conversation by the closed doors. One of them she recognized; Shinya. He wore his standard JIDA uniform but his normal relaxed expression was gone, replaced by something akin to strain and worry. The other man was unfamiliar, but she recognized him on closer inspection. She'd never actually come face to face with him, but you couldn't be in the JIDA without knowing his face. Kureto Hiragi. He was the oldest son of Tenri Hiragi-leader of the JIDA, and a general.

Emiko had never heard good things about him. The only thing she did know about him was that he was supposedly extremely strict and that Guren always came back disgruntled after an authority meeting with him. That was usually enough for Emiko to dislike someone, and it was no different for him.

"This is a bad idea, Kureto. I've warned you-" Shinya was interrupted.

"Yes, I've heard your concerns before." The man said gruffly. "I've just decided to ignore them. If it's any consolation though, I have everything under control." Shinya opened his mouth to respond, but the scene suddenly went mute. Emiko looked around in confusion. The shadows of the room were beginning to close in. Emiko heard a voice calling to her, but it was not a voice she immediately recognized. She could not understand what it was saying either, only that it was calling to her, and it was getting louder the longer Emiko didn't respond.

"Hello?" Emiko called, hoping to sate the voice. It didn't. The shadows grew as the voice shouted. Emiko covered her ears, trying to block out the deafening noise that seemed intent on haunting her. "Please! I don't know what you want!" She called out.

Suddenly, it stopped.

Hesitantly, Emiko uncovered her ears, looking around. She was standing in pure darkness, with no sign of escape. Still, Emiko felt strangely calm now that the yelling was gone.

"You're getting in my way, Emilia." A shiver ran down Emiko's spine. She knew who the voice belonged to now, and it was someone who Emiko had not spoken to in a very long time. Emiko turned, coming face to face with none other than Mahiru-no-yo. It was a surreal experience. Emiko had not seen Mahiru since she was human, and even then she had been scarce. She was aware that at some point Mahiru had become a vampire, which quickly lead to her becoming a demon. It was one of the few secrets Emiko had kept from everyone. Guren had told her only in hopes that her angelic power would be able to bring her back. Unfortunately, Emiko had no experience with her powers, and didn't know the first thing about being an angel. Even now, her knowledge was scarce on the subject.

Mahiru looked mostly the same from when she was human, except a few small changes. Her eyes were blood red, and she had long pointed ears. Finally, she still had fangs from her time as a vampire. She sat atop the darkness, almost as if she were hovering. She had one leg crossed over the other and her hands placed calmly in her lap. She still wore her school uniform, and she still looked as beautiful as she remembered. Emiko had been awestruck by Mahiru growing up, and had wished to look just like her.

"How...are you here?" It may not have been her best choice of first question, but it was legitimate. If this was indeed Mahiru (which Emiko suspected it was) and not a part of her dream, then Emiko was utterly confused as to how she was here. As far as Emiko knew, the two shared no connection besides a past casual friendship. She shouldn't be able to enter her mind.

"You're easy to reach out to." It was the only vague response Mahiru gave, and Emiko suspected she would get no more on the subject. She wanted to argue, but she didn't want to waste time. It was clear Mahiru had a message. Whether it be good or bad, it seemed important for Emiko to know.

"Alright, well, why are you here?" Emi asked cautiously. Emiko wasn't afraid per se, it was _her_ dream, but that didn't mean she wasn't suspicious.

"Guren." She answered softly. She tilted her head to the side, watching Emiko as if she were a gazelle she planned to prey upon. "He has been rather distracted with you. He feels guilty, and then he also feels the need to help you. Rather annoying." Mahiru said, scrunching up her nose for emphasis.

"Why does this concern you?" Emiko replied. Mahiru's eyes pierced her own with a level of danger and darkness that nearly knocked her off of her feet.

"You have a part to play." Mahiru changed the subject so smoothly that Emiko didn't even notice. "I'll give you that, you have your uses. You also infinitely complicate things." She spoke so smoothly, as if she were discussing the weather. It made Emiko shuffle from foot to foot.

"Thank you? Or, Sorry?" Emiko wasn't sure which one was an appropriate response. Mahiru didn't seem to mind though, as she gave Emiko a frightening smile.

"You need to leave the vampires." Mahiru's words froze Emiko to her spot. How did Mahiru know where she was? More importantly, why did it matter to her? "Take it from someone who was one. They don't care about humans at all. They have no value for life." She said softly. Emiko scowled, crossing her arms.

"They care about me." Emiko retorted. Mirth lit up Mahiru's red gaze, and a tinkling laugh left her perfect lips.

"Of course they do." Mahiru giggled, smiling viciously at the blonde girl before her. "You're an angel. You are what their dark little souls secretly crave. They may be able to walk in the day because of their silly little trinkets, but they'll never know light. But you, you are the closest they'll ever get." Emiko backed up, suddenly feeling afraid. What was Mahiru implying? Emiko wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"What do you mean?" She asked, despite herself. Mahiru's grin grew up into a smirk of deadly intent. She leant forward, as if she were ready to spring at her prey. Emiko felt as if she'd walked right into her trap.

"I mean, that whatever they _feel_ for you isn't real. It's the allure of your power, your very nature." As Mahiru spoke, her words began to fade out. They started to sound more and more like echoes in the distance. Her body began to fade as well, retreating back into the blackness surrounding them.

"Wait, Mahiru!"

Emiko sat bolt upright in bed, her hand stretched out as she reached for a person that wasn't there.

Daylight shone in through the windows facing the beach. The left side of the bed was made up, indicating that Crowley hadn't slept next to her last night. Emiko sighed, running a hand through her messy hair. What a dream that had been. A nightmare, but a strange one. Most of Emiko's nightmares either revolved around bad past experiences, or on some calamity that had already happened, but still somehow managed to frighten her. She also dreamed of bad people, doing bad things, but she could never remember their faces once she woke.

This, this was strange though. There was no doubt in Emiko's mind that she truly did speak to Mahiru. It just seemed...real. But, Mahiru had been cryptic and difficult to understand. What was her end goal from such a conversation? Emiko couldn't figure it out. She just knew that the last thing she said truly bothered her.

Was it possible that vampires only liked her because of what she was? It had seemed strange that Krul grew to like her so fast, being a vampire queen and all. So did Chess and Horn as well. And Crowley, well, Crowley wasn't nice to her, but he didn't _harm_ her. In fact, it was only after he'd tasted her blood that Crowley began to show a real interest in her besides mild curiosity.

Emiko shook her head vigorously, refusing to let the demon's words infect her mind. She'd been through these mind games with Mirai before, and she knew how to fight them off. The fact of the matter was that Mahiru wanted something from Emiko, even if she didn't know what it was.

"Hey! Beach today?" Chess poked her head into the room, smiling brightly at her blonde friend. Emiko shook her head.

"Not right now, maybe later. Where's Crowley?" She asked, chewing her lip. Emiko didn't like thinking too much. Sex sounded like a much better idea. Chess' face dropped and she frowned.

"He's still out on business in the town." She answered, and maybe Emiko was reading too much into it (her dream had put her on edge) but Chess was acting like she wasn't telling Emiko something. Strange. Chess was usually a blabber mouth.

"Hmm." Emiko responded, and then yawned and stretched. Emiko got the feeling that Chess wouldn't say anymore on the subject if Emiko asked, and so she let it go. There are times when she wished she hadn't known anything about some of the vampire dealings that went on. Like the Progenitors banquet.

That had been a mistake.

"Are you sure you don't want to go surfing?" Chess pleaded. Emiko yawned again and then shrugged. If Emiko refused, Chess would pout the rest of the day.

"Later," Emiko promised, moving towards the dresser where she'd placed all of her clothes. Crowley may be gone, but Emiko still needed a way to get her mind off of things. The idea of exploring the island was a tempting one. Chess whined, but Emiko ignored her complaining. She rifled through her clothes until finding a pair of denim shorts and a green tank top. It was hot out, and the articles of clothing would be good if Emiko found herself hiking.

Emiko quickly changed and got ready. She left the confines of her room and headed out into the living room. Chess and Horn sat on the couch, a chess board between them. Mika, Lacus, and Rene were nowhere to be found though, and Emiko assumed they were off with Crowley on business.

"What are you doing?" Horn asked calmly, glancing up from her game. Emiko shrugged.

"I…" Emiko trailed off unsurely, looking between the two vampires. Did they truly care about her? Afterall, it was strange. Emiko had told herself she wouldn't allow Mahiru's words to get to her, but they had some merit. They'd become friends all too quickly for creatures that viewed humans as food. "I had a nightmare," She admitted. "I wanted some time alone."

"We could go with you!" Chess chirped excitedly, standing so quickly she knocked the chessboard to the floor. Horn sent Chess a disapproving look.

"Alone time usually means without companionship, Chess." Horn reminded her friend testily. She turned to stare at Emiko with a scrutinizing gaze. "Can you promise to behave?" It was a sound question on Horn's part. Afterall, Emiko had a habit of _misbehaving_. Still, Emiko had no interest in pranks or mischief right now. She needed to think, without the voices of others distracting her.

"I will." Emiko promised. Horn nodded her agreement then, and Emiko left the beach house. It was extremely hot out, but the wind kept Emiko slightly cool. She turned away from the welcome waters of the beach and towards the city. She hoped to find a car she could hotwire so she could travel a farther distance.

The city was beautiful. It wasn't large and intimidating like Tokyo was. It had very few tall buildings, and gave off a much friendlier atmosphere than the destruction that was the big cities. There was still decay and destruction, but it was much smaller than that of the rest of Japan. Emiko could see why people would want to hide out here. It was peaceful, with no horsemen in sight. It was almost like another world.

There weren't many cars out to be used. Those that were, were to broken down or destroyed to be used. Emiko found she didn't mind to much though. Walking through the town actually turned out to be tranquil enough.

Mahiru's words wouldn't stop echoing in her head. No matter what Emiko told herself, she recognized they must have some truth to them. People had always naturally been drawn to her, whether human or vampire. It was usually the same story as well; people found Emiko annoyingly hyperactive and talkative, and then quickly began to see her as endearing. Emiko enjoyed the attention others gave her. She liked being liked. But, she didn't want to be liked because people had no choice in the matter. She wanted people to like her because of who she was, not what she was.

There was also the conversation between Shinya and Kureto she'd witnessed. Emiko often had dreams of catastrophe. Some were like visions of the future that Emiko could do nothing to stop, others were Emiko's dark mind torturing her with images of what could be. Over the years, Emiko had learned to not let them affect her anywhere other than her dreams. But this dream was different. It seemed real, but why? And what purpose did it have? Was it foretelling some catastrophe that was about to happen? Or was her mind actually giving her a chance to change the darkness she saw?

She didn't have an answer to that.

Emiko was about to head back when she heard familiar voices not far from her. Curiously, Emiko headed in that direction. She saw Rene and Lacus, both looking to be chatting about something. Emiko readied to call out to them, but saw something that stopped in her tracks.

Children. Kids, the oldest looking to be fourteen, all huddled behind the two vampire soldiers in fear. Every single one of their eyes shined with unshed tears. Lacus held one child in his grip, a young boy no older than nine. The boy was too frightened to even fight, his brown eyes wide with terror. He stared up at Lacus as if he were a demon. Emiko imagined the comparison wasn't far off from the truth.

Rene turned away from Lacus, watching the children with crossed arms. Lacus grinned, muttering something that Emiko couldn't quite catch, and then turning to the child in his grip. His fangs shone in the sunlight, a millisecond before he grabbed the child and dug his teeth into his neck. The boy cried out in pain, pushing his small hands against Lacus' shoulders. The children behind them cried openly now, but none moved to help their friend.

Like frightened lambs, helpless to stop their own slaughter.

The scene brought about a fury so powerful in Emiko that it literally burned in her veins. Her heart raced in her chest, pounding in her ears. She clenched her fists so tightly her fingernails dug into the skin of her palms. Something settled in her gut then, something instinctual and dangerous, something...feral.

She had to protect them.

Her legs moved of their own accord, racing across the street towards them. Rene and Lacus both looked up at her, hearing her arrival. Neither of them looked concerned. Lacus retracted his fangs from the child, blood coating his mouth and chin. He grinned at Emiko, giving a small wave at her. Emiko didn't wave back. Emiko ran at him, stopping directly in front of him, eyes narrowed into a glare. Lacus frowned.

"Is something wron-" He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence. Emiko's balled up fist reeled back and launched at his face, knocking into his chin so powerfully that he stumbled back and fell to the ground.

It was quiet for a second.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Emiko yelled, grabbing the child Lacus had nearly drained and moving him back towards his friends. The child limped and moved at a sluggish pace, being enveloped into a hug the second he was close enough to the group of children. Emiko whirled back around, facing the two vampire guards.

"What was that for?" Lacus demanded, gripping his chin and moving it side to side. He glared at Emiko as he stood. Rene watched Emiko with narrowed eyes and a deep frown. He kept looking between her and the children. He recognized why Emiko was angry, though he didn't understand why. Well, he did, but not _now_. She'd been living in Sanguinem for a year now, she was sleeping with a vampire noble. Surely she'd had to known that this was what they did. They fed on humans, even children, with not a second of remorse. Or, Rene pondered, was she truly that ignorant to the truth?

"Are you really asking me that question?" The darkness of her voice caught Rene and Lacus off guard. Emiko's voice only sounded that sinister when the demon was in control, but it was clear now that Emiko was herself. "You do not feed on children. You don't harm them." Emiko spat. Lacus' eyes narrowed, taking a step towards her. Rene looked between the two of them cautiously, but made no move to stop them. Not yet.

"They're food." Lacus hissed, pointing towards the huddled mass of children. "And out here, they're free game to feed on and kill as we like." His words were cold and cruel, not a hint of compassion could be found. It made Emiko even angrier.

"I'm telling you, you can't." Emiko affirmed dangerously. Her tone warned Lacus not to argue with her, but his own anger blinded him. He scoffed in response to Emiko's demand, giving her a haughty glance.

"You may be the Queen's favorite, but you can't change law. You're still just a lowly human. I don't take orders from you." Quick as lightning Emiko was directly in front of Lacus, nearly nose to nose. Her entire body was tensed for a fight. She kept Lacus' gaze with her own, and if he weren't so angry he would have noticed the golden sheen the blue of her eyes was giving off.

"You're going to let the kids go, or I will kill you," Emiko warned, and then glanced at Rene. "Both of you." She clarified. The air around the three of them became stifling, and Rene felt his own anger grow. Though he was more refined than Lacus, he did not appreciate some human girl telling him what to do anymore than he did. Both of them reached for their swords.

Emiko was expecting that. She grabbed Lacus' swords from his sheath before he could reach it. She stepped back, swinging the sword with a speed he was not prepared for. The sound of flesh splitting and Lacus screaming seemed to reverberate in the air. The sword cut clean through his forearm, sending the appendage flying. The children screamed but were too frightened to move, staring in shocked horror at the scene.

Emiko jumped back to avoid Rene's slash. Lacus clutched at his severed limb, crying out at the pain. Rene growled angrily at the blonde. The both of them stared each other down, waiting for the other to strike. "I've beaten you both of a dozen and a half times before. I will kill you." Emiko warned coldly.

"We were going easy on you." Rene practically flew across the earth below him towards her, sword pointed and ready. Emiko met his attack with one of her own, dodging his strike and swinging the sword in a slash at his ribs. Rene parried and struck with his fist, getting a good shot at her cheek. Emiko hardly even seemed to feel the pain though, her head barely snapping to the side and then swinging her blade once more.

The two engaged in a deadly fight, neither one holding back. Rene was stronger and faster, but Emiko had finesse, and had fought against much more deadly opponents before. Crowley had taught her for the day that she would have to fight vampire progenitors, and a city guard didn't stand a chance.

Rene was disarmed when she got through his guard and attacked his wrist with the hilt. The weapon dropped to the ground with a clang. Emiko gripped hold of his arm, swinging his body around until he found himself on his knees, arm twisted painfully in her grasp. She pointed her sword at his throat. Her eyes were cold and dark, and for the first time since he had met her, he found no light in them. In fact, the strange golden hue of her eyes was icier than the previous blue had ever been. Rene was terrified. Lacus was writhing on the ground in pain and he did not think appealing to Emiko's humanity would work. Not with the rage he saw in those eyes.

He was going to die.

Emiko positioned the sword, staring into Rene's eyes one second longer, and then struck. The sword moved to pierce Rene's heart, and it would have, if a hand reached out and ripped the sword right from Emiko's grasp.

For a split second, Rene and Emiko were stuck staring at each other, both of their eyes wide with shock. And then, Emiko found herself swept off her feet, landing on the ground painfully hard. She cried out in pain at the second impact, grabbing hold of her butt and looking up to see who had caught her off guard.

Crowley stood towering about the both of them, Lacus' sword in hand and an unreadable expression on his face. He did not look at Rene or Lacus, or even acknowledge their presence. His eyes were focused on Emiko, something dark inside of them that worried her. Suddenly all of Emiko's rage was gone, replaced by something akin to fear. Crowley had never looked at her like that, like she was a threat he needed to exterminate.

"Leave." Crowley ordered, tossing the sword towards Lacus's form. Rene needed no more indication. He grabbed Lacus' severed arm and then helped Lacus leave the area. Mika had been hovering on the edge of the block, watching with narrowed eyes, but he took the cue as well and left. It was just Crowley, Emiko, and the children. Crowley glanced up at the group of children, eyes never wavering. "Run away." He told them. The children didn't need to be told twice. They stumbled to their feet, gripping each other's hands and ran in the opposite direction.

"He was going to kill them." Emiko answered his unspoken question. Crowley's eyes returned to stare into hers, and he didn't speak for several long seconds. The stare was unnerving, and Emiko began to shuffle nervously in place.

"So?" That one word suddenly reminded Emiko of all of her rage. Her gaze hardened, and she glared up at Crowley heatedly.

"So? So? So their lives matter, Crowley! Their children, innocents-"

"They're livestock." He interrupted coldly. "That's all they are. Food to be eaten and then disposed of. I find it shocking that you spent a year at Sanguinem and are just now acting self-righteous." He expected the attack, but he let himself be pushed to the ground anyway. Emiko yelled in fury, clutching at his shoulders above him. Her eyes, which had returned to blue in their fear, had lit up as molten gold again.

"Then what am I?" She shouted, pounding a fist against his chest angrily. "I'm human too you know, if they're livestock then so am I!" He grabbed her fists and pushed her over, switching their positions so that he was now the one atop of her. Emiko breathed heavily from her anger, fighting against his hold on her wrists. He did not budge. His expression did not change either, a cold and calculating look she had never seen on him before. It made a feeling of panic well inside of her, her gut clenching fearfully.

"You're not human." He reminded her coolly. He tightened his grip on her wrist, and Emiko cried out at the sudden pain. He cocked his head to the side, watching her response. "That would have broken any human's wrist." He explained. Emiko glared through the pain, pushing against his hold again, to no luck.

"So what?" She hissed, moving her legs to kick out at him. He pressed his weight down on her, immobilizing her further.

"You're not human, and you're not livestock. You have a purpose beyond being food, they do not." His words were cruel, and Emiko's eyes welled with tears.

"If they are livestock then so am I. Stop treating me differently. Kill me. If you kill them, you should kill me" Emiko ordered, her gaze both desperate and defiant. He could feel the waves of despair rolling off of her and it reminded Crowley of how young she was, and how much pain she had been through. Crowley watched her for the longest time, again seeming to be thinking something over carefully. Finally, he pulled back, letting go of her wrists and standing up.

"I will not kill you. You're too important." The ' to me' at the end of that sentence was silent, but not lost between the two of them. Not with the way he stared at her, watched her with an intense gaze that was passionate, but not seductive. The look confused Emiko, because when Crowley normally gave her such looks, it was filled with the desire for her body or blood. Now, it was like he was peering right into her soul, watching the fires dance and turn, and being unable to look away. It became clear to Emiko then, that the intensity of his gaze wasn't dark or sinful, but heated with an infatuation of her very being. His gaze made Emiko feel hot, her blood turning to liquid fire in her veins. Suddenly, she was as enthralled as he was.

It scared her.

Fortunately, Crowley looked away before the fire could consume her. He glanced back towards the beach, where the house was. When he looked back at her, his normal expression was back, a casual glance that hid any signs of the former intimacy of his gaze. "Go back to the Beach. I will return shortly, and we will discuss what happened here." He told her calmly.

Emiko opened her mouth to argue, but he was already gone.

 **...**

 **Hope you enjoyed! Like I said above this chapter also gave me a really hard time to write, but I managed to force myself to sit down and write a few days ago, and then finally finished up tonight. I'm very proud that I got it down, because I was worried it was going to turn out like my Final fantasy story Tempest. (Tempest was my story that was not just an idea or a one-shot, but a story I tried to semi-regularly update. That failed when all enthusiasm and interest in the story died out, though I still desperately wish I could write it.) Fortunately, I have amazing reviewers who keep me motivated and I get emails letting me know that the story gets followed and** **Favorited** **. It makes me feel that much more determined to keep writing because I know how personally frustrating it is for me when I like a story and it ends up never being updated.**

 **Anyway, next chapter is thirty! EEP! I plan on some special things happening for the next chapter (like another lemon...) but let me know what you guys are interested in seeing for the big thirty. If I can, I will incorporate it into the story.**

 **Reviews:**

 **Petalclaw's PatriceBethPorter: Thank you! Glad you like it!**

 **hakuouki91: Thank you! Yeah, haha, he's my favorite character besides Shinoa. I love his casual attitude about everything, and I think it makes him even more sexy. :D**

 **Guest: Thank you so much for your kind words and understanding! I really appreciate your support!**

 **Cat Mchall: Haha yeah, Crowley can be such a jerk. I love him though. ;D (Though he may be teasing, he's actually completely serious about turning her if she keeps being an idiot.) The thought of Emiko becoming a vampire had crossed my mind, but I don't know if it will ever actually happen though to be honest. It doesn't fit in the story right now, but if it did ever happen, Emiko would still have her angelic powers. Kind of like how vampires become demons but still retain their vampire traits and desire for blood, Emiko would still have sides to her angelic side while mostly being a vampire though.**

 **Tsuki: Your english is wonderful! :) I do love fluffy as well, but I always feel awkward writing it because the manga and anime are so serious. Ferid always has some scheme going it seems, but that's what I love about him. I don't actually remember hearing about the sea poisoning, but I think I just forgot. Either way, I probably would have just ignored that fact because I really wanted to do a cliche beach vacation like you always see in Anime. Thanks for reviewing, it's always lovely to hear from you! :)**

 **Guest: Thank you so much! :) The pranks are some of my favorite parts as well! They're such an integrative part into Emiko's character as well, because they represent the most fun-loving side of her. As for a prank on Lacus, Mika, and Rene, you never know! Maybe Emiko will get her revenge through pranking, as we've seen so many times in the past! :)**

 **Revanchist21: Thank you so much! I'll do my best, please keep letting me know what you think! :)**

 **Foxy Vixin: Thank you! :) Hopefully this chapter didn't disappoint. Please continue to let me know what you think! :)**

 **I love hearing from all of you and it makes me so happy to get your reviews! Also, please check out my new True Blood story if you're interested! It's called 'A reason to live' and it's a Godric/OC story. It's a story similar to Two Souls in that I am trying to keep it a semi-regularly updated story, so you should get updates along the same schedule like Two Souls.**

 **Fun fact: I had to open up a new doc on Google docs for Two Souls, because I had over 230 pages on the original one, and it was running really slow. Now the writing is easier because it types faster. :)**


	30. Chapter 30

**Merry Christmas! :)**

 **Warning: Smut ahead.**

It was a surreal experience, wishing you had a demon inside of your head. Emiko never thought she'd ever actually want Mirai back poking around in her head, but she weirdly missed having someone who could give you advice at any moment.

It was even weirder that Emiko actually wanted advice from a demon, but that didn't seem to occur to her.

Crowley had never looked at her like that. Sure, he'd given her many different kinds of looks. Most of them were admittedly ambivalent, but only because he was a hard person to catch off guard. Still, she'd seen different sides of him. In the beginning, he had only showed her a moderate amount of curiosity, though Emiko doubted he could've actually cared whether she lived or died in the beginning. Later on, he began to treat her like a pupil, showing an interest in her growth as a fighter. Then, he began to watch her with interest, lust, and affection.

He'd never looked at her with hostility before.

Why?

Emiko didn't understand. She'd done stuff like this before, and he had never had a reaction like that. What was different this time?

The walk back to the beach house was long and left Emiko with even more time to think. She considered her dream, and all it had to entail. There was something going on at JIDA that she needed to know about, and it was going on high up in the ranks. Perhaps she should talk to Guren? No, if Shinya didn't know, then Guren probably didn't either. Then, there was Mahiru. She told Emiko that she needed to leave the vampires, so was she trying to get Emiko to return to the JIDA? That didn't make much sense though, given that she wanted Emiko to stay away from Guren.

The walk back to the beach house ended all too quickly. As she arrived the group minus Crowley were all exiting the beach house, even Mirai. The demon spared Emiko a quick glare, and then turned her attention towards the beach. Emiko gulped, wondering what kind of talk her and Crowley were going to have if he sent everyone else away.

Emiko entered the house, and found Crowley seated in the lounge, a large, leather bound book in his hand. When Emiko stood before him, he looked up from the book, smiling mirthfully as he met her gaze. "Have you ever read the bible?" He asked calmly.

Emiko blinked in surprise several times, and then shook her head. "I always considered myself more spiritual than religious. Plus, I never understood any of it in the first place."

"Hmm…" Crowley hummed in response, and then closed the book, setting it on his lap. "I've read the bible many times." He responded. That made Emiko feel even more surprise, for a moment, until she realized he was a crusader in his human life. "Do you know what it says about angels in the bible?" Emiko stiffened at his question. Angels? What was he getting at? Did he know? How could he?

"What?" Emiko asked cautiously.

"In Matthew it says 'see that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my father in heaven.''

"I don't understand what that means." She admitted reluctantly. Crowley's lips tilted up into a half grin.

"Many believe it implies that every person has a guardian angel watching over them." Emiko couldn't help screwing up her face in a scowl. That was the farthest thing from the truth. Most angels Emiko had met were pretty rude, and from the way Mirai talked about them, they didn't sound very friendly to humans at all. "You don't seem to agree." Crowley observed.

"Angels…" Emiko trailed off unsurely, glancing between him and the floor. She bit her lip nervously. She shouldn't be talking to Crowley about angels, at all. It was too close to the truth of what she truly is. Emiko glanced up at him again, meeting his sturdy gaze. He seemed to be seeking something from her, but she didn't know what. Emiko sighed. "I imagine angels wouldn't like humans too much." She wasn't sure if that was any better, but at least she'd tried to sound less suspicious.

"How so?" He asked quizzically, arching a brow at her.

"We humans have a tendency to craft our own destruction, which I suppose isn't all bad, if we were only destroying ourselves. But sadly, we destroy everything around us as well. I don't think it would be easy to get behind a species that has a tendency of breaking everything it touches." Emiko knew Mirai would agree with her, to an extent. Mirai would also say that was a broad perspective that skipped over the truly good souls in the world.

Crowley hummed, skimming his eyes over Emiko with a fairly light gaze. Still, Emiko could sense something ominous coming from him, a feeling she'd never gotten from him before. It made her feel uneasy. Emiko shuffled her feet nervously.

"Why...are we talking about angels?" Emiko asked slowly, hoping the confusion in her voice made her seem less suspicious. Crowley didn't look into her eyes, instead continuing his scanning of her body. It wasn't sensual in nature, more of like he was trying to get a read on her. He was deeply contemplating something.

"It was in your nature to protect them, wasn't it?" He ignored her question altogether, instead turning to the true topic at hand. Emiko couldn't say she was disappointed. She shrugged in response to his question.

"I won't say that I don't see both sides, because I do. I don't appreciate the killing, but I understand that this is war. War means death, and I may not be the smartest person in the world, but I've lived through enough to at least know that. What I refuse to understand is how killing innocent children can be okay. It's wrong, and it doesn't matter to me who tries to hurt them; I'll stop them, even if it means killing the person who tries." The unspoken 'even you' hung boldly in the air.

"What about in the asylum?" Emiko froze. He spoke calmly, but his voice was cold. Emiko knew immediately what he was referring to, but she didn't understand how he knew. She'd told no one about her days at the mental hospital as a child, right before the apocalypse struck. Crowley saw the haunted look in her eyes, and it made him momentarily freeze. It wasn't the time, he realized. She wasn't ready to have this conversation.

"Come here." He beckoned her over to his chair. Hesitantly, Emiko walked towards him, stopping in front of the chair. She opened her mouth to speak, but her lip quivered. Crowley sighed, reaching out and placing his hands on her waist. Crimson eyes met watery blue, and he pulled her towards him softly. Emiko fell into his lap, legs on either side of his hips. He moved his hands from her hips, trailing them softly up her back, resting one on the back of her neck while the other rubbed soft circles into the middle of her back.

Emiko sensed that the conversation was over, and the pressure on her heart seemed to relaxed her muscles, leaning her head down to press against his chest. She rested her hands on his shoulders, gripping the fabric of his jacket in her fingers. The gentle motion of his hand massaging her back made her feel calm and peaceful for the first time since she'd woken up. She abandoned all earlier thoughts, especially any on the hospital.

Crowley overrided her senses. The feel of his hard chest against hers, his hands holding and comforting her, his scent. She wondered if he felt the same about her. Not just about touching, she definitely knew he liked to do that. But she had to wonder if she had the same affect on him? Did his senses dilate at the smell of her shampoo? Did the way her fingers would run across his back remove all negative tension from his body? Did he feel the same harmony she felt when they touched? She hoped that he did.

The moment was ruined when Chess and Horn walked in. The two were speaking on a subject that died on their lips the second they saw Crowley and Emiko. The two women shared a look. Emiko climbed off of Crowley, standing to face them.

"What's up?" Emiko asked.

…

"What were you and Crowley doing earlier?" Emiko winced. She had been expecting either Chess or Horn to bring up the moment between Crowley and her earlier, but she had been hoping otherwise.

It was confusing to Emiko. She'd always had this idea about their relationship. She thought that while Crowley cared about her, and enjoyed her, he didn't have _feelings_ for her. Afterall, she'd been taught by the army before she ever came to the vampires. They told you that vampires didn't have feelings, and certainly couldn't feel anything like affection, or even love.

Did Crowley love her? Was he capable of loving someone?

Did she love him?

It was all so frustrating. They had spent so much time together. He made her a better fighter, and a stronger person. And, he had broken all of the rules the army had taught Emiko about vampires. He treated her kindly, for the most part.

"Do you care about me?" Emiko asked softly, turning to look at the two vampires women. Horn and Chess shared a look.

"We've told you before that we do." Horn replied calmly, looking Emiko up and down curiously. "What brought this on?"

Emiko sighed, "In the JIDA, you're taught that vampires rarely ever feel emotions. Nothing before coming to Sanguinem had ever proven that wrong." What Mahiru had said rang in Emiko's ears. ' _You are what their dark little souls secretly crave.'_

"Well, that's true." Chess chirped, splashing about the water. "Vampires really don't feel much of anything, after a certain point of turning. That doesn't mean we can't feel anything though." Chess didn't seem to have a single problem with this, but Horn seemed to be troubled by the thought.

"It is rare for us to feel such affection, especially for a human." She admitted.

"And...Crowley?" Emiko asked hesitantly. Chess and Horn shared another look.

"What are you asking?" Horn inquired. Emiko bit her lip nervously.

"Nothing. It's nothing."

…

The moon hung over a cloudless sky. Emiko sat out on the porch outside her room, gazing up at the stars. Since the apocalypse, the stars had become more prominent in the sky, but they were positively vibrant out here on the island. Short, nearly silent footsteps shook the wood of the porch. Emiko turned, watching Mirai approach.

Emiko had hardly seen Mirai the entire week. She'd been too busy having fun, and Mirai had seemed content to stay indoors and do her own thing. Emiko missed her though. The both of them were connected now, and it felt strange to go too long without being near each other.

"You're changing." Mirai spoke softly, but her voice carried on the wind. Emiko gave Mirai a scrutinizing look. Mirai sighed. "I told you that you'd change slowly, but surely." Emiko nodded.

"I talked with Mahiru in my dreams." Mirai tensed up. Emiko looked sideways at her. "She wants me to leave the vampires, but she made no sense. She also told me that because I'm an 'angel' vampires want me. They feel affection for me because I'm light, and they are dark." It was silent for a long time.

"She's not wrong." Mirai finally spoke, with a certain resignation in her tone, as if she'd been avoiding this conversation. "Angels are...well, it's hard not to love them. It hits vampires the hardest because they don't feel much of anything at all." The both of them sat in silence after that.

"So...what they feel for me...isn't real?" Emiko couldn't keep the hurt out of her voice. The thought that the friendships she had made weren't actually real, that they didn't truly feel love or affection for her...it made her heart hurt.

Did Crowley feel nothing for her? Or, did he feel love for her, but it wasn't real? The latter somehow felt worse.

"I don't know. In a way, you make them capable of feeling love, where they might not have been able to before. Does that make the feeling fake? Maybe you gave them the feeling, but they chose to love you. Maybe it forces a feeling they never wanted to feel."

Mirai left shortly after that.

Emiko continued to sit out on the porch, watching the moon move across the sky. Soon, she heard the sound of heavy boots across the wooden porch. She knew Crowley was deliberately making noise, so as not to spook her from her thoughts.

When had he become considerate like that?

The sounds of walking stopped abruptly. Though she didn't look behind her, Emiko knew Crowley stood closely, watching her with a curious expression he so often wore around her. Emiko didn't look at him; she didn't think she could ask him this question if she looked into his eyes.

"Do you love me?" Her voice was so quiet, it was almost carried away on the wind. Crowley heard her though, by the sigh he released. Emiko braced herself for whatever answer he would give her. Crowley took another step closer, until he was standing right beside her.

"Vampires aren't supposed to love," He mused, staring up at the moon. It was a pretty night. Tranquil and peaceful-it almost felt melancholy. It was perfect for the conversation they were about to have.

"So that means you don't?" Her voice was crafted to be perfectly blank. Emiko couldn't decide if she was happy or not that he didn't love her. At one point, it meant that she hadn't created a false feeling inside of him because of what she is. On the other side, it hurt. An ache settled into her heart and seemed to course throughout her veins, until the pain seeped into her very bones.

"I said that they aren't supposed to love," Crowley corrected, glancing down at Emiko. Though she tried hard to be emotionless, it was easy to read her. She always wore her heart on her sleeve. "Not that I didn't love you."

All was silent. Emiko felt hope build in her chest, but she quickly quashed it down. Not yet, she couldn't be hopeful yet.

Emiko sighed and glanced up at Crowley, "What does that mean? You're being unusually cryptic. Do you love me or not?" She demanded, blue eyes hard and icy. A small, amused smirk crossed Crowley's lips. He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.

"I haven't felt love for anyone in over eight hundred years. The feeling isn't familiar to me." He scoffed, but this his expression softened. He searched Emiko's face for some kind of emotion, but she didn't know what. "Though I can understand the concept of love, and the symptoms." Crowley kneeled down, grasping Emiko's chin so that she was forced to meet his eyes. Emiko's heart beat heavily in her chest. "You're mine. I've never wanted anything like I want you, but it's more than that. I want your happiness, your laughter. I want to destroy those who hurt you, tear them apart like the monster I am. I want you to be strong, but I also want to protect you. There are days when I want to lock you away, so that I don't have to share you with the world, but I know you would wither away if I even tried."

Emiko was startled, staring up at Crowley with wide, innocent eyes-eyes that haunted him, teased him, and tested his willpower. "I…" Emiko started, but then stopped. She didn't have a response to that. She didn't know whether to feel angry, or sad, or happy. She couldn't decide if she wanted to run from him, or throw herself into his arms.

"I am a vampire, and vampires don't love-and even if we do, I don't imagine it's the fairytale love most humans dream about," Crowley considered, and then laughed, amusement shining in his eyes. "I don't imagine it's the most healthy kind of love either. A part of me wants to force you to want me, to love me. I suppose that's the vampire in me; it wants to possess you, Emiko." Crowley's grip on Emiko's chin tightened, pulling her towards him until their faces were mere inches away. "So tell me, my sweet angel, can you accept the type of love a vampire can give you?"

Emiko didn't know what to say. She stared into Crowley's serious red orbs, and felt at a loss. Crowley was rarely truly passionate; sure, when having sex, he was more open, less relaxed and more sensual than she'd ever seen him. This was different; his demeanor never changed, but she could tell he was serious. He wanted her, he desired her, and a part of that want manifested in a dangerous way. He admitted that, though, which maybe made Emiko think he could at least control it to an extent. That maybe, he truly loved her enough to be honest with her, instead of manipulating her.

"I can't tell you I love you," Emiko admitted to him. "I've never been in love, so I don't know what it's like. Earlier, you mentioned the asylum to me," She paused, watching for any changes in his features. There was none, but his hold on her chin was soothing, his thumb stroking her jaw like the caress of a feather on the wind. Emiko took a shaky breath. "I don't know how you know about that place, or who told you. That place, it destroyed a piece of me. Something inside of me, some important part of me broke. I've tried so hard to fix it, to put the pieces back. That's why, I can't tell you I love you," Emiko breathed heavily, flickering her eyes around the scenery and then looking back to Crowley. "But I want you, too."

That was enough.

Crowley held out his hand to her. Hesitantly, Emiko stared down at the hand and then placed her own hand in his. With a flick of his wrist, Emiko was launched up from the ground, her chest meeting his own. Their eyes met in a clash of powerful emotion, and then his lips were upon hers.

So often when Crowley and Emiko kissed, it was a rushed and passionate fiery. It was like fireworks and hurricanes and the sweet taste of expensive wine. The kiss was still passionate and wonderful and thrilling, but it held a certain type of emotion to it that it hadn't before. It was like Crowley was holding back the true ferocity of his feelings for her, and now he expressed it in a kiss that sent her reeling.

As most of their kisses do, it turned into something more. A tug of the clothing, a hand grasping for skin, a soft moan escaping Emiko's lips. Emiko didn't remember moving, but suddenly her body was dipping into the soft sheets of the bed. Crowley pulled back from her lips, keeping one hand on her hip and the other trailing up beneath her shirt. He gazed at her with penetrating red orbs, his eyes scanning over her glassy eyes and swollen lips; Emiko had always been beautiful. Even when he first saw her, a dirty mess on the abandoned streets of shinjuku, he had thought her striking. Now, he saw her for the angel she was; her flushed skin tinting her cheeks to pink, giving her skin a beautiful glow; her golden waves laid framed around her face in what he could only describe as a halo of light-pun intended. She was a sight to see in the throes of passion, unbeknownst to her, her eyes turned molten gold and stared up at him with such longing that his fangs ached with the desire to pierce her throat and drink the sweet nectar that was her blood.

He trailed his fingers over the delicate skin of her throat, eyes watching intently as she gulped. His thumb traced the vein in her neck-the one he had bitten into so many times before. He had tasted nothing better than her blood in all his centuries, and it had become a temptation to even be in the same room as her without partaking of her blood. An addiction, if he was honest with himself. Still, he could not bring himself to bite her now, not when she looked at him with so much love in her eyes-love? Was it love he was seeing? He couldn't be sure. A part of him wanted to believe that it was, even if she had told him she didn't.

"So beautiful," Crowley murmured absentmindedly, running his fingers down her neck to stop at her breast. He squeezed her breast through the fabric of her clothes, and then ran his thumb over her nipple. Emiko arched, pressing herself into his hands impatiently. Crowley smirked, looking up into her narrowed eyes with a playful mirth. "Hmm, do you need something?" He asked lightly, running his other hand up her shirt until it rested over the fabric of her bra. He pinched her nipple playfully.

Emiko gasped, "Crowley!" She hissed, but couldn't help grinning back at him, letting out a small giggle. Crowley only pecked her lips, and then shifted their position in a millisecond, Emiko now sitting atop his lap with her legs straddling his.

"Shirt. Off." He ordered, tugging at the thin white material. Unwilling to let him ruin more of her clothes, Emi pulled the material over her head and threw it to the ground, her bra following soon after.

"Happy?" Emi retorted, but then blushed at Crowley's intense gaze upon her. They'd had sex several times now, but somehow Crowley never stopped looking at her like he was mesmerized by the very sight of her. It sent butterflies fluttering around in her stomach, and just when she thought she wasn't capable of getting embarrassed anymore after all they'd done together.

Emiko pressed her lips hungrily against his, pressing herself against him. He reciprocated immediately, keeping his hands planted firmly on her hips and pressing her down against him. She ground against his hardening dick. Emiko keened, fireworks exploding behind her eyes at the feeling of him against her. Crowley let out a small growl of his own and Emiko once again found herself on her back with her shorts already off by the time she'd even realized what happened.

Crowley ran two of his fingers over her covered slit, pressing his fingers into the fabric and against the opening. Emiko threw her head back against the pillow and then grabbed hold of his arm and tried to press his fingers against her harder. Crowley chuckled under his breath, the sound a deep rumbling that sent pleasurable shivers down Emi's back.

"Please," She mewled, staring up into his bright eyes pleadingly. He couldn't say no to those eyes. He grabbed the elastic of her underwear and pulled it down over her slim and supple legs, pulling them over her ankles and then tossing the offending piece of clothing somewhere in the room. Crowley sat up and grabbed her by the ankle, grinning wickedly as he pulled her body until her legs were hanging off the edge of the bed. He kneeled down off of the bed, keeping Emiko's eyes. She blushed bright red, the tips of her ears even reddening when he licked his lips.

"Crowley-mmh!" Emiko moaned. He ran his fingers over the slickness of her opening, and then delved them inside of her moist heat. Emiko couldn't keep still after that, jerking and arching upwards into his fingers as he pumped his fingers inside of her. Crowley lowered his head to her throbbing core and lapped at her wetness. Emiko cried out loudly, the sound sure to have alerted the others to what they were doing, if her earlier sounds hadn't. Emiko reached her hands out, grasping at strands of his hair and pulling his head closer to her.

Crowley traced his tongue over her slit while continuing to pump his fingers inside of her. With the rocking of her body and the needy pleas she kept making, he knew she was getting close. Smiling to himself, he placed a gentle lick to her clit, and then pulled the sensitive nub into his mouth, sucking.

She came undone.

Emiko gasped and cried and whimpered, tugging at his hair and then at his shoulders and back as he climbed atop of her when she began to wind down. Her golden orbs were almost glowing, glazed over and staring up at the ceiling like she hadn't quite come back down to earth yet. She was lovely, chest heaving as she panted and started to come down from her high.

He loved her. He loved the smell of her hair, the sweet and devious laugh she gave when she pulled a prank, and that smile; it was her smile that drove him over the edge. Despite being a vampire, he could understand pain-had felt plenty of it in his human life. Suffered his own traumas and lost people he loved. He was never the same afterwards. Neither was Emiko, they both knew that, but she never stopped being filled with life.

She hadn't let the world make her cold, and he loved her for it.

Emiko stared up at him with wide eyes, still breathing hard. She looped her arms around his neck, pulling her towards him for another deep kiss. He indulged her, putting all of his attention and care into that kiss. Soon, she had her hands on the button of his pants, fiddling with the button to no avail.

Finally, she pulled back, giving a huff of annoyance as her fingers refused to work properly. Crowley tried not to laugh, but the look of annoyance on her face was too cute. He chuckled deep in his throat, removing her hands from the front of his pants as he did it himself. She pouted, but the minor grievance was easily forgotten as he sank inside her.

Both of them groaned in pleasure. Crowley settled inside of her for a moment, and then began to thrust. Wave upon wave of ecstasy began building. Crowley looped his fingers through hers and held her hands above her head, pressing them into the silk sheets. Emiko arched upwards, already feeling another climax building inside of her. Emiko dug her nails into Crowley's hands as he held them in place, her body refusing to be restrained as the pleasure coiled so deeply inside of her. Every thrust was a burst of blinding light in her mind, each one threatening to send her over the edge.

Crowley slammed his hips into her, pace fast and hard. As they built higher and higher his pace became harsher with more strength than a human could possibly hope to use. The mixture of pleasure and slight pain sent Emiko reeling over the edge with a loud gasp and a moan.

Emiko's body racked with delight, her muscles clenching around him and causing his own release. He rested his forehead against her own, riding out both of their climaxes until the very end.

They spent the rest of the night like that wrapped around each other.

 **HI. :D**

 **Sorry it's been so long. Writing's been...a challenge, especially for this story. The next chapter is when things speed up and start really progressing. Also, it's late and five minutes from being Christmas, so I will respond to all reviews next chapter.**

 **Special thanks to** **Clarifyne who sent me the sweetest and most lovely of messages that inspired me to finish this chapter. I know it's rough, but I really appreciate your kind words. :)**


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